Make You Feel My Love
by NickyM96
Summary: [Caskett, Beckett/Alexis] Things are finally perfect for Castle and Beckett. Only one thing is stopping them from making a happy family … Alexis. Spoilers: The Squab and the Quail. Set about 6 months after this episode, pretending The Human Factor and Watershed never happened.
1. Part 1 - Prologue

Title: Make You Feel My Love, Part 1

Spoilers: The Squab and the Quail. Set about 6 months after this ep. Pretending The Human Factor and Watershed never happened.

Summary: Things are finally perfect for Castle and Beckett. Only one thing is stopping them from making a happy family … Alexis.

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own entertainment purpose and will return them for the next user when done.

A/N:

Okay, where to begin? A couple of points before you start this journey.

1 – Aside from the prologue, this story is free of Caskett angst. Like the summary says, they're completely and totally happy. That's a first for me. It was interesting trying to maintain that. So many times I wanted to add Caskett drama like I normally do.

2 – Instead of relationship drama, Caskett must deal with outside forces. One of those forces being Alexis. Which leads me to my next point.

3 – Extremely uncharacteristic Alexis ahead. Just warning you now. I mean, I feel she has reason to be acting how she's acting and that reason is explained later on. But it was still tough to write.

4 – A couple of Caskett exes make their appearance in this story. But I have to make this disclaimer. The thoughts and feelings represented in this story do not in any way, shape, or form reflect the author's true feelings of a certain Doctor Motorcycle Boy. I think my muse suffered a mental lapse. That's the only explanation I have. You'll see what I mean.

5 – And finally. I am an engineer. I'm not a doctor, lawyer, or police officer. Any medical or legal plot points are from my imagination and will probably be inaccurate at best.

6 – Oops, one more note. This story was written in 3 separate parts. I'll post all the chapters of each part over the next couple days. But it's all one story. I just think 15 or so separate chapters is more manageable to read than 3 big chunks.

On with the show ...

* * *

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Prologue

* * *

Kate Beckett looks around the room, a spa paradise filled with soothing candles and music. Castle really went above and beyond this time. She knows in her heart that he truly regrets taking her for granted and can see that he's doing everything he can to make it up to her. But for some reason, it's not enough. Not anymore. She thinks it's time for more.

"Castle, where are we going?" she asks after his gentle kiss.

"To the bedroom," he tells her, that sly smirk on his face as he leads her into the room.

But she can't move. Not until he answers her question.

"No, Castle. I meant … where are _we _going? With this relationship," she clarifies, not sure if he legitimately didn't understand her or if he just pretended not to.

He gives her a curious look.

"Where is this coming from?" he wonders aloud, staring into her eyes to judge her seriousness. "Are we really having this conversation?"

"I think we are," she nods, moving into the bedroom. She's about to sit on the bed when she thinks again. The romantic setup of the room might just confuse and distract them. She moves back out into the living room instead. She takes a seat on the couch and waits for him to sit next to her.

She bites her lip, avoiding his eyes. Now that she's started this, she's not sure what to say or do next.

"Relax," he says, taking her hand in his own. "Unless you plan on walking out that door, I think we can handle this."

"I don't plan on walking out the door," she smiles, squeezing his hand.

"You asked where we're going," Castle reminds her. "Are you talking generally? Specifically? Short term? Long term?"

"I don't know," she sighs in frustration. "I just want to know how to define _us_. I want to know how serious this is."

She can't help but think of the questions raised by Erik Vaughn in that hotel room.

"You want to know how serious this is," he repeats, disbelief coloring the question. He shuts his eyes just as she catches a glimpse of something inside them. Anger? Frustration? Passion?

"Castle …"

"No, Kate. Let me tell you how serious this is," he says, anger slipping into his tone. "I am dead serious about this, about you. I … love … you."

He says each word slowly and deliberately, staring her dead in the eyes.

"I have never loved anyone the way I love you. I have never even said those words to anyone other than my mother and my daughter. Not to Kyra. Not even to any of my wives. Just you. For five years, I have tried to show you. In five novels, I tried to show you. For the past year, I have told you every single day. I love you, Kate Beckett. Why don't you know that by now?"

"I do know, Castle. And I love you, too. So much, and with all my heart," she assures him. She suddenly realizes how certain she is about him. And about what she sees as their future. She smiles at hin. "I told you before I was a 'one and done' kind of girl. You're my one."

"I'm your one," he smiles, his anger and frustration flying away at the realization of what she's saying. What she's finally admitting. "Just to be clear, you are talking about husbands, right?"

She just laughs, leans in, and kisses him. Her heart soars. How could she have not known exactly where they were going? It's more than clear to her now.

"Come on, Castle," she says, grabbing his hands and pulling him off the couch. "Maybe if you do this massage right, I'll be convinced to marry you."

"Like you said, maybe the third time is the charm," he chuckles, grabbing her in his arms and spinning her around, happiness flooding from every pore.

"Is this really happening?" she asks. "Are we really about to get our happily ever after?"

He just kisses her.

Oh yeah, she thinks to herself before getting loss in the kiss. How could she have not known where they were headed? Finally they're both on the same page. Finally, they're headed in the right direction. What can go wrong now?


	2. Part 1 - Chapter 1

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Chapter 1

* * *

_9 months later_

She's been throwing up all morning. She could kill Castle for this.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

He's sitting on the bed in the room while she pukes her guts out in the bathroom. The coward is too spineless to come in here with her.

"Do I sound like I'm okay?" she asks, her voice hoarse from all the vomiting. She makes her way back to the bed when her stomach finally settles enough. She falls face first onto the fluffy down cover.

"I'm sorry," he says, rubbing her back gently. "If I could go through this for you, I would."

"No you wouldn't," she grunts, turning her head to face him.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he admits sheepishly. "I'm not so good with … all that."

He gestures towards the bathroom and she practically rolls her eyes at even his inability to talk about the topic of regurgitation. But rolling her eyes wouldn't be a good thing. It would just make her nauseous again.

He continues to rub her back, his penance for his part in what she's going through now.

"Mmm," she groans in bliss. The dreamy quality of her voice alerts him that she's about to fall back asleep. If he lets her, she'd never forgive him. He's in enough hot water as it is.

"Oh no you don't," he says, patting her on the butt. "Time to get up. You'll be late for work."

"I'm up," she sighs wearily, pushing herself off the bed. "I'll be out in a minute."

"I'll go start breakfast. Just some toast to go with your tea," he adds quickly when her face starts to turn a little green again.

He leaves the room and heads to the kitchen. She grabs her blazer jacket off the back of the chair and stands in the mirror to put it on. She turns sideways and frowns at her profile.

"We probably should have told Alexis and your mother before they went on their trip," she calls out to Castle. "This is not going to stay hidden much longer."

She tries sucking in her stomach, but it doesn't help. The lump stays right where it is. She buttons her jacket and is reasonably satisfied by the job it does hiding the extra weight.

She walks out the room and he meets her at the front door.

"Can you eat while we ride? We're running late," he informs her, holding out a travel mug for her.

She takes the cup and takes a deep breath, smiling when she recognizes the scent of coffee. Even if it's decaf, she appreciates the gesture. Taking a sip of the hot brew, she moans out loud when she realizes it's the real thing.

"Not decaf," she smiles, leaning over to kiss him. "You're the best husband ever."

"Half decaf, half regular. Plus a lot of milk," he corrects her. "The doctor said a little coffee is okay. You don't have to quit cold turkey."

"You're still the best husband."

She goes for another kiss when he regretfully stops her.

"You're going to be late," he reminds her. "We can't keep using a new marriage as an excuse. It's been six months."

When she pouts, he can't help but nibble at her poked out bottom lip. She wraps her free arm, the one not holding the coffee, around his neck and snuggles closer to him.

"We can make it quick," she whispers, gasping in his ear as his kisses move down her neck.

"Vixen," he snaps out, pulling away from her, more sorry than she realizes that he can't take her back to bed. "You bewitch me."

He places one more kiss on the tip of her nose before heading towards the door.

x.x.x.x.x

The flush in her cheeks is just starting to dissipate by the time they arrive at the 12th Precinct. He carries the bulk of her stuff inside and places it on her desk. She smiles at the thought of how sweet he's been. He's all but waited on her hand and foot the past couple months. She could get spoiled.

"I'm going to go grab something out of the break room. You need anything?" he asks her.

"Coffee?"

"Nice try," he says, shaking his head. "You already had coffee today. How about some milk?"

She frowns, skinning up her nose at the thought. She's become pretty intolerant of the taste of milk and just thinking about drinking it makes her stomach start to turn. Did she just call him sweet? More like a food dictator telling her when and what and how much to eat. Call it a mood swing or whatever. She's as irritated with him now as she was in awe of him just a minute ago.

"I'll see what else is in there," she says, walking with him into the break room. The overwhelming scent of coffee makes her mouth water. She moans pitifully.

"No," he says before she can even ask.

"But the baby wants coffee," she tries to reason with him.

"The baby needs milk," he counters.

"I'll drink water," she pouts, dropping some change into the vending machine for a bottle of water.

Castle bends down to retrieve her drink and is startled when he straightens up. Ryan and Esposito are standing in the doorway to the break room with huge grins on their faces.

"What's this about a baby?" Ryan asks, walking over to Beckett. "Are you pregnant?"

Beckett looks up at Castle and he just shrugs, indicating that it's her call what she wants to say. She really wanted to tell their family first, but she can't lie to her partners.

"Yes," Beckett admits, smiling at the boys. "We're having a baby. Nobody knows yet, though, so keep it quiet."

"We wanted to tell her dad, my mom and Alexis first," Castle adds.

"Congratulations!" Ryan says, hugging them both before turning to Esposito and holding out his hand. "Pay up."

Esposito reluctantly pulls a twenty dollar bill out his pocket and smacks it into Ryan's hand.

"This is great news, despite it costing me money, " Esposito adds, hugging them when Ryan is done. "But you know Lanie is going to drag this news out of me. I doubt I'll be able to keep it from her."

"Lanie already knows," Beckett admits sheepishly. She rushes to explain when Javy gives her a hurt look. "She's a doctor. Somehow she knew before I knew."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Espo pouts, making Ryan laugh.

"I can't believe you two were betting on my baby, " Beckett says, shaking her head. "What even made you think I could be pregnant?"

Ryan blushes, looking down, suddenly interested in his shoe laces.

"Javy?" Beckett says, leveling her glare on him.

"It's just, uh … you, that is to say your, uh …" he holds both his hands out level with her breasts. "They're bigger. We thought you had some work done."

"He thought that," Ryan jumps in. "I recognized some of your symptoms from when Jenny was pregnant. But Espo thought it was no way you were pregnant. So we made a friendly little wager."

"Pregnancy versus a boob job?" she rolls her eyes and walks out the break room, leaving the men behind.

"Dude, they really are huge, though," Espo says quietly to the other men.

"I know, right?" Castle says with a big grin.

"Well, it's good that little Riley is going to have a playmate soon," Ryan says, bringing up his new baby daughter. He glares at his partner. "Because it doesn't look like she's going to get an Esposito Junior to play with any time soon."

"Don't even put that out in the universe, Bro," Espo says with a scowl, following Beckett out the break room.

Ryan and Castle rush to catch up with the others, nearly running into Captain Gates on the way out.

"Ahh, Detective Beckett. Mr. Castle. Nice of you two lovebirds to finally join us today," Captain Gates sneers from the door of her office when they all walk by. "You have a case. The boys will fill you in."

"We weren't _that_ late," Beckett mumbles. Not as late as they could have been if Castle had taken her back to bed like she wanted. But she decides to keep that part to herself. The flush in her cheeks, however, lets Castle know exactly what she's thinking and makes him laugh. The steamy look in his eyes is a silent promise that he'll take care of her when they get home.

"Ugh, you two are sickening," Esposito chimes in, interrupting their seductive gazes. "Dial all that lovey dovey mess down a notch."

"You're such a romantic," Castle says sarcastically. His phone rings and he steps aside to answer.

While the boys fill Beckett in on the case, Castle gets an assignment of his own. He borrows a notepad off of Beckett's desk and jots down a few details before hanging up the phone.

"Something came up?" Beckett asks, plopping down in her chair. She just barely resists propping her hand on her growing belly. She has to save that for when they're at home with no prying eyes.

"Unfortunately, yes," he nods. "A book conference out in Vegas. I've been putting off going to these things. But it's either do this one now or the one that happens in later in the year. That one is around the time you're due to give birth and I really would hate to miss that."

"Yes, I don't think your wife would be too happy," she teases. "It's a good idea to go now. I'll be fine."

"I don't want to leave you alone," he balks. "Maybe if Mother and Alexis were home …"

"Castle," she interrupts him. "I'm a big girl. I've been living alone for the past 15 years. I'm going to be fine for a couple of days."

"But still, I'd feel more comfortable if someone was home with you. Maybe they can cut their trip short?"

"Please don't," she says, stopping him when it looks like he's about to make a call. "Alexis hates me enough as it is. I doubt she'd be happy having to come home early."

"What do you mean? Alexis doesn't hate you."

"Castle, are you blind? The girl definitely has some kind of issue with me."

"Since when?" he wants to know.

"Not sure," Beckett shrugs. "Maybe when we got married? No, it was a bit earlier than that. I'm not sure when, exactly. She just got kind of distant. I thought it was just her needing to adjust to me being married to you. But the past couple weeks, she's gotten really hostile."

"That doesn't sound like Alexis at all," Castle says, his frown causing his brow to furrow.

"I know," Beckett agrees. "I don't know what I could have done to her. Short of taking you from her."

"We'll find out after my trip," he says, kissing her quickly on the forehead. "We'll get this all straightened out in a couple of days."

"What happens in a couple of days?" Esposito asks, propping himself on of the corner's of Beckett's desk. Ryan leans against the other side.

"I need to go to Las Vegas for a book conference," Castle explains again, this time to the boys. "I won't be back until next Saturday."

"Not a problem. We'll look out for her," Ryan assures him. He catches Beckett's glare and quickly turns and walks back towards his own desk.

"Like I told Castle, I'm a big girl," she insists. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Make sure she only gets one cup of coffee a day," Castle continues explaining to Esposito, as if Beckett wasn't even there. "She shouldn't have any, but she'll be worse than cranky if you don't let her have at least a little."

"Excuse me? _Let _me?" Beckett practically squeals in anger. "Who are you to tell me what …"

"And make sure she eats every couple of hours," Castle says, ignoring her rant. "She'll fight you about breakfast because she still gets pretty sick in the mornings. But she needs something on her stomach as soon as she can hold something down."

"I'll find out some things from Jenny that'll be good," Ryan offers, inching back over to the conversation. He can see that Beckett's angry glare is now in the direction of her husband, so he should be in the clear. "She found a couple things that helped with the morning sickness."

"Anything else, _Doctor _Castle?" she asks sarcastically, arms crossed across her chest.

"Uh, no. I think that's it," Castle says, ignoring her obvious disgust and embarrassment over his oversharing of her private business. "Oh, wait. Her nap. It's important she …"

"Castle! Shut up!" she practically begs him, pushing him towards the elevators.

"She goes dead to the world at like six o'clock. Make sure she's home by then," he manages to say over her head before the elevator doors close them inside.

"I can't believe you said all that personal stuff," she huffs, her fists clenched to her sides so she doesn't give into the urge to punch him.

"I feel like I'm ditching you," he says sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. "I just want to make sure you're taken care of. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you while I wasn't with you."

"I told you. I can …"

"Take care of yourself," he finishes for her. "I know you can. But it's kind of my job to take care of you now. Of the both of you."

He gently places a hand on her belly. They both look down at it. She just sighs, defeated by his words. She can't fault him for feeling protective of her and the baby.

"I'm going to be fine," she promises him. She frames his face with her hands and pulls him down for a kiss. Too soon, the elevator reaches the bottom floor and the doors open. He steps out, giving her one last wave goodbye. She has to blink back the traitorous tears that want to fall. Four days. She can handle four days without him. What could possibly go wrong in that short time?


	3. Part 1 - Chapter 2

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Chapter 2

* * *

"_Hey, it's Dad. Just letting you know I have to go to Vegas for a few days. I should be home by the time you and Gram get back. Check in on Kate when you get a chance. I don't want her to be lonely without us. I love you Pumpkin."_

Alexis rolls her eyes and hits the delete button on her voicemail. The last person she wants to talk to right now is Kate Beckett. She could just pretend she never got the message. She doesn't usually lie to her father, though. So if he asks. she'll have to tell him the truth. There are already too many people not telling him the truth. Starting with his own wife.

For a long time, Alexis wanted nothing more than for his father to marry the woman of his dreams. For a long time, Alexis thought Kate Beckett was that woman. For five years, the woman has been the one constant in her father's life. And trust that Alexis has seen a lot of women come and go out Richard Castle's bedroom. Kate took the longest to get there, but she's also been there the longest. On the surface, she seemed like the perfect woman for him. But once Alexis got underneath the surface …

She doesn't want to think of that right now. She's trying to enjoy the last few days of her vacation with her grandmother. They didn't get to go on their usual summer trip due to her trip instead to Costa Rica with one of her classes at school. This chance to get away with her Gram came at the perfect moment. Alexis didn't think she could spend one more second with her new lying, cheating stepmother.

She takes a deep breath. Trying to avoid thinking about Kate Beckett is only making her angrier. She's going to have to do something about it. While her father is gone just might be the perfect time. She can finally confront the woman who has been pulling the wool over her father's eyes all these months. It's time to go home and face the beast.

x.x.x.x.x

Kate Beckett lets herself into the penthouse at precisely six o'clock that evening after work. She spent the past two days humoring Ryan and Esposito and she's frankly exhausted by their efforts at trying to take care of her. They're taking their job as protector very seriously. They're worse than Castle in a lot of ways. But she knows they mean well. It means a lot that they care so much about her. So, she indulged them and even let them send her home early today. She'll never admit that she's actually glad to be home, though. Castle was right about her needing her after work nap. She's wiped out. She kicks off her shoes and lays on the couch for a brief rest.

Before she can close her eyes good, the doors the penthouse are opening again. A small part of her has hope that it's Castle coming home a day early, but that hope dies when she sees two red headed women entering with a ton of luggage.

"Oh, hello Katherine," Martha says with a smile. "You're home early."

"I was tired," Beckett explains, rising off her comfortable nap spot to hug her mother in law. "And missing my husband a little."

"Yeah, right," Alexis mutters under her breath. But it's just loud enough for both of the other women to hear.

Martha gasps, but Beckett just gives her a questioning look. Alexis just stares back.

"Alexis Castle. I swear I don't know what's gotten into you," Martha adds, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"It's okay, Martha," Beckett stops her. "I think this is a conversation Alexis and I have been needing to have for awhile now. If there's something she needs to say, she can say it."

"There's nothing she needs to say," Martha jumps in, trying to hold off the inevitable war between her granddaughter and daughter-in-law.

"No, Martha," Beckett says, holding up her hand to stop the woman. "I'd like to hear this. I'd like to know what I've done to offend Alexis."

"Offend me," Alexis laughs. "Yes, you can say you have offended me by being a lying, cheating whore and still marrying my father."

Her words bring silence to the room.

"What did you call me?" Beckett asks slowly and quietly. Too bad the girl can't hear the warning in her tone.

"A lying … cheating … wh-"

"Alexis!" Martha stops her. "That really is enough. I am so ashamed of you I don't know what to do!"

"I didn't do anything," Alexis protests. "She's the one cheating on my dad."

"That simply isn't true, Alexis. Where did you even get such an idea?" Beckett wants to know.

"From you. I heard it from your own mouth. You were talking with Lanie about _"that night"_ with Erik Vaughn, laughing with her about what my father will never know," Alexis spits out in disgust. "I hate you for hurting him like this."

"Alexis, you misunderstood," Beckett tries to explain. "Nothing happened that night with Erik. He tried to come on to me and he tried to kiss me, but I put him off. Besides, your father knows all of this. He knows everything that happened. Which is nothing, like I said before."

"Yeah, right," Alexis rolls her eyes. "This completely contradicts what I heard you say before. Yet you expect me to believe you? Whatever."

"Don't "whatever" me, young lady," Beckett says, trying to take on an authoritative role before things truly get out of hand, which she fears they already have.

"Young lady. Oh wow," Alexis laughs. "Listen at you trying to sound like you're my mother or something. Let me tell you something. You will never be my mother. You will never be anybody's mother. I'm so glad my father doesn't want anymore children. I would feel so sorry if any of my siblings had the lousy luck to end up with you as their mom."

Beckett gasps, her hand flying to her stomach. It wouldn't have hurt more if Alexis had physically struck her. She feels the tears starting to fill her eyes and refuses to let them fall. Not until she can get out of there. Without saying a word, she grabs her stuff and walks out the door. She doesn't let the tears fall until she is safely enclosed in the elevator. She's not sure what hurts worse. Having Alexis think her a liar and a cheater or hearing that Castle doesn't want children.

She rubs the hand that's still on her belly, covering the child they made. What does he think about this baby? Is it just a mistake to him? Her heart says no. She believes Castle loves both her and the baby. More than likely, Alexis was just lashing out trying to hurt her. Well, mission accomplished. With so few words, the girl has managed to taint the one pure thing that's given her absolute joy - her pregnancy. Now, she can't help but wonder what kind of mother she'll be to this innocent baby. And no matter what her heart says, she can't help but wonder if this is really what Castle wants.

Feeling suddenly and completely out of place in the home she's just getting used to, she goes to the one place that will always feel like home and welcome her - the 12th precinct. There was plenty of work left to do on the case when she left. Her job is the one thing she knows she's good at. Maybe spending more time there will make her forget about her apparent failures as a wife and mother.

x.x.x.x.x

"I hope you're happy," Martha says to Alexis. "Did you see the look on her face when she left here? How could you say such a thing to her?"

"Why is this all my fault?" Alexis asks defensively. "She's the one who lied and cheated."

"Honey, I don't think you know what's truly going on in that situation. Whatever happened, it happened between Katherine and your father and they have obviously worked it out and moved on. Who are you to judge any of them for their past actions and decisions they have made? They love each other. They're married now. And despite what you said to her about your father not wanting children, I can see them starting a family soon."

_Probably sooner than you think_, Martha thinks silently. But she keeps that suspicion to herself. It would only set Alexis off even more.

"But Gram …"

"But nothing, Alexis. You need to face the fact that Katherine is the woman your father chose to be with. I don't think anything you say or do is going to change that."

"Exactly! He chose _her_!" Alexis yells, but then covers her mouth with her hand when she realizes what she let slip out.

"You think he chose her over you," Martha nods, suddenly seeing what's really going on with Alexis.

"He would have died with her, Gram," Alexis says quietly. "He chose to stay with her when she was trapped on that bomb. He chose to die with her rather than live for me."

"But he didn't die," Martha points out.

"That's not the point," Alexis sniffs, wiping away a tear.

"Isn't it, though? Isn't the point in life to find that one person whom you'd do anything for? Don't you want to find a love like that? Or do you see yourself staying with your father forever? Do you think he expects you to?"

"No," Alexis reluctantly admits.

"Then shouldn't the same apply to him?"

Alexis doesn't answer, but lets what Martha said sink in. Maybe she's being selfish and unfair. But she still can't bring herself to trust Kate again. Not just yet. Maybe not ever.


	4. Part 1 - Chapter 3

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Chapter 3

* * *

At the precinct, the boys can see the look on Beckett's face and decide not to question why she's back. They do notice her wince from time to time and do their best to keep her comfortable by commandeering the plush chair from another detective who's already gone home for the day. They don't even dare say anything whens she stomps to the break room and comes back with a steaming mug of the forbidden coffee.

"Beckett, is everything okay?" Ryan finally asks after losing the coin toss with Esposito to see which one of them would approach her.

"Just some drama at home," she admits, shocking them both by being so open. "It's better that I'm here."

"Is Castle back?" Esposito asks.

"Not yet," she says, shaking her head. "He'll be back late tomorrow or early the next day. But Alexis and Martha came from their trip back early. Alexis and I had a bit of a fight."

She winces again, this time her hand moving to a spot on her back that must be bothering her.

"You all right?" Ryan asks again.

"Just kind of uncomfortable," she sighs, rubbing on her back again.

"It's getting late. How about we drop you off at home?" Esposito suggests.

"I know you two promised Castle you'd look after me, but I'm fine," she assures them. "I'm better off staying here for a bit longer, though. Alexis needs some space. And I just don't feel like going back to that battle ground just yet."

"Fine," Ryan finally relents. "Not too much longer, okay? Forget about Alexis needing 'space'. You and that baby need rest."

They work at the board for a bit longer, making notes and moving pictures around as needed. When they feel they've done all they can, they decide to call it a night. Beckett lets out a big yawn and glances at her watch. It's much later than she realizes. She needs to get home.

She pushes out of her chair and is suddenly bent over at the pain that shoots across her abdomen.

"Whoa," she gasps, as it takes her breath. She rubs at the spot on her stomach until the pain dissipates. She takes a couple of experimental deep breaths and is relieved when the pain seems to be gone.

"Beckett?" Ryan calls to her. She looks up to see both men standing around her with panicked looks on their faces.

"We're good," she smiles. "I'm sure I just overdid it today."

She can't help but wish she had heeded Ryan and Esposito's suggestions to go home earlier. Even the baby is letting her know she's over her stress and exhaustion thresholds.

She continues to clear her desk and pack away her things, trying to ignore the wary looks she keeps getting from Ryan and Esposito. She's about to ask one of them to drive her home when the captain walks back into the bullpen.

"Break in the case?" she asks them, stopping by the murder board to get a look at what they've accomplished while she was gone.

"Sir? What are you doing back here tonight?" Esposito asks. "We thought you were heading home after that department meeting."

"The meeting just got out," Captain Gates says with a weary sigh. "I wanted to get a few things from my office before going home. How about you guys? Leaving soon? Detective Beckett, I thought you had left hours ago."

"Something came up with the case," she says cryptically, not willing to share her personal business with the Captain. It's one thing to tell her partners and friends. She can't go there with Gates.

She goes into the break room to empty the nearly full cup of coffee she barely touched. She only got it to prove that she could do whatever she wanted. But she didn't really want the coffee and barely drank any of it. Gates follows her, wanting to get her own cup of coffee to keep her awake on her trip home.

"You know, Detective Beckett," Gates starts. "I was actually happy to see that you had left at a decent hour tonight. I know I may seem to be kind of hard on you and Mr. Castle at times, but you two just got married. You shouldn't spend all of your time here at the precinct. But I can understand you wanting to be here more when he's gone. When is he due back?"

She gets no answer aside from the sound of the coffee mug crashing into the sink. She turns around to see Beckett bent over and panting, as if in pain.

"Detective Beckett?"

Gates runs over to Beckett's side.

"Are you okay?"

"Not sure," Beckett gasps. "It hurts."

Beckett tries to take a deep breath, but it seems to make the pain worse.

"Can you move? Let me help you sit," Gates offers, leading the woman to the couch on the other side of the break room. "Beckett, what's going on?"

"It feels like … contractions," Beckett says, her breathing coming a little easier as the pain starts to die down. "I think I may be in labor."

"Labor? You're pregnant?" Gates tries not to stare in shock, but she can't help but be stunned. But being shocked and stunned won't help Beckett now. "Um ... okay, how far along?"

"16 … no, 17 weeks," Beckett corrects herself. "17 weeks at my last check up."

"Okay, so not quite halfway there, but out of your first trimester," Gates mutters, mostly to herself. "I'm sure you're going to be fine. You sit here, I'm going to go get some help."

Beckett leans her head back and just breathes, rubbing both hands on her stomach.

"Come on, Kid. You behave. Just stay in there where it's nice and cozy and you can grow big and strong," she whispers, continuing to breathe deeply.

Out in the bullpen, Gates runs around shooting off orders.

"Ryan, get in the break room with Detective Beckett. It would seem she's having some contractions. Try to put those childbirth classes to good use and keep her calm and breathing."

"Yes, Sir," he quickly obeys, rushing into the room to be with Beckett.

"Esposito, I need an ambulance here ASAP. And you might want to call Mr. Castle and let him know that his wife may be in labor."

"On it, Captain," Javy agrees.

Once the orders are given, Captain Gates takes a moment to send up a quick prayer that things work out well for one of her favorite detectives.

x.x.x.x.x

"Hi! I'm Simone!" a perky paramedic says when she walks into the break room. Beckett, having just come down from another contraction, resists the urge to punch her. She's a tall, thin, gorgeous, exotic and currently not pregnant version of a supermodel. "I hear we're having a little bit of tummy trouble."

"Is she serious?" Beckett asks, turning to her Captain, who escorted the annoying woman into the room.

Captain Gates just shrugs, turning her own leary gaze on the over excited woman.

"Don't mind her. She's just the happy sort."

Beckett stops breathing. She knows that voice. She looks up into the face of her long forgotten ex.

"Josh."

"Hi, Kate."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hanging with Simone when the call came in about an emergency here at the 12th," he explains. "I still worry about you, Kate. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She just nods, not knowing what to say about that.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Josh asks.

"She thinks she's in labor," Captain Gates says.

"She was pretty stressed out when she got here," Ryan chimes in. "And she's been rubbing at her back all night."

Simone, the ever perky EMT, pulls on some gloves and starts a quick, personal exam of Beckett to check on the baby.

"Pregnant, huh? Congratulations. Castle's I assume?" Josh guesses, making chatter to keep her mind off of the examination the EMT is doing.

"Good guess," Beckett says with a small smile that turns into a blush when Josh gives her a pointed look. "What?"

"Let's just say that I knew I was on borrowed time with you," he tells her. "It was only a matter of time before you realized how much he loved you and that you loved him too."

"Were we really that obvious?"

"Yes!" Ryan and Gates answer in unison, causing Josh to laugh.

"See? I wasn't the only one to notice."

"Blood pressure is elevated and she spotting," Simone says to Josh quietly, pulling off the gloves she had put on to examine Beckett.

"Dilation?"

"About 2 centimeters."

"What's going on?" Beckett asks nervously, grabbing on to Ryan's hand and holding it tight.

"Shhh," Josh orders her as he places his stethoscope on her belly. He moves it around and then replaces the stethoscope with his hands.

"Your baby seems to be okay for now. No signs of distress aside from your elevated blood pressure," Josh explains. "But he or she seems to be kind of anxious to meet you. You are in labor."

"But it's too soon," Beckett says, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. You're going to be fine," Josh assures her. "We're going to get you to the hospital and you'll get some medicine that's going to stop the contractions."

Espo comes in, holding a cell phone in his hand.

"Castle wants an update," he announces. "He's catching the first flight he can get, but he's still got a couple hours of travel time before he can get here."

"Let me talk to him," Josh offers when he sees the teary, panicked look on Beckett's face. She's in no condition to talk at the moment. He holds out his hand and takes the phone when Esposito gives it to him.

"Hey there, Castle."

"Who is this?" Castle asks on the other line. "Is this the doctor?"

"It's Josh." Josh almost smiles at the long pause on the other end of the phone. He can practically hear the question tumbling around Castle's brain, but gives the man credit for asking about his wife first.

"How's Kate? Is she there? Can I talk to her?"

"First of all, I'm going to need both of you to just relax and stay calm," Josh starts, trying to keep a smooth, soothing voice. "Kate is fine and the baby is fine too."

"Okay," Castle sighs in relief. "They're okay. That's good. But you said 'first of all.' What's the second of all?"

"Kate's in labor."

"Oh my God," Castle whispers in prayer. "Are they going to be okay?"

"We're getting her to the hospital now. We'll start her on some meds that should get the contractions to stop."

"And the baby will be okay?"

"Baby should be fine. I actually think you're going to have the hardest job in the next few weeks," Josh tries to joke. "She'll more than likely get put on bedrest. And you're going to be the one who has to keep her there."

"An impossible task," Castle chuckles nervously.

Josh can tell that he isn't quite so panicked anymore, but he's still worried. He can hardly blame the man. It can't be easy to be so far away from the one he loves at a time like this. He hears the cab driver in the background announce to Castle that they've reached the airport.

"You catch your flight. Kate's in good hands," Josh assures Castle.

"Can you do me a favor," Castle asks, almost unsure the request will be granted. "Can you make sure she's not alone? She tries to act tough, but this has got to be scaring her because it's terrifying to me. Don't let her go through it by herself, okay?"

"I promise," Josh says. "Even if I have to stay with her myself. She won't be alone. Hold on. She wants to talk to you."

Beckett takes the phone from Josh.

"Castle?"

"Hey, Honey. I'm on my way home. I'll be there as soon as possible. I love you so much. Both you and the baby. You two are everything to me."

Her heart swells. She didn't realize how much she needed to hear that from him.

"I love you, too. You get here soon, okay?"

She hangs up, feeling a little better having spoken to Castle.

"Okay, let's get you to the hospital," the perky EMT chirps.

Beckett just cringes at the annoying woman's over cheerful attitude. It's going to be a long night.


	5. Part 1 - Chapter 4

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Chapter 4

* * *

The medicine begins to work almost immediately. The contractions slow and then finally stop altogether. Beckett is beyond relieved.

True to his word, Josh stayed with her, especially when she told him she didn't want to call her father, Martha, or Alexis. They don't know about her pregnancy yet and she still is holding out hope that she'll get to tell them at a time when it can be celebrated. Besides, she's not quite ready to deal with Alexis just yet. Just thinking about what the girl said to her makes her heart ache all over again.

"What are you thinking about?" Josh asks, staring at the crease between her eyebrows. "You just got this scowl on your face and started rubbing your stomach."

He gets up to check the various monitors she's hooked up to. The slight blip on the both the displays monitoring Kate's blood pressure as well as the baby's vitals concern him, but seem to have leveled themselves off.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," she smiles. "Thanks again for staying with me."

"I told Castle I would," Josh just shrugs. "Besides, Simone is on duty the rest of the night. I didn't feel like going to bed alone."

"Ahh, so you two are an item. She's very, uh …. happy."

"Yes," Josh laughs. "She is. She's silly, goofy, crazy. All those things. But she's smart, dedicated, and very talented with her patients. She's good for me. We're good together."

She smiles to herself. It's just the way she'd explain what Castle is to her. She just hopes Josh can see that a person like that is to be treasured, not discarded.

"You seem happy," Beckett says. "I'm happy for you."

"You seem happy, too," he says. "Married. Baby on the way. A perfect little happy family."

"Except for my step-daughter hating me," Beckett frowns, rubbing at her stomach again.

"Looks like she's the cause of your stress."

"We had a fight," she admits to him. "It was pretty ugly."

"How ugly?"

"Well, it started with her calling me a lying whore and ended with her saying Castle never wanted anymore kids and that she's glad I'll never be a mother."

"Ouch," Josh winces. "You're right. That's pretty ugly."

She sighs heavily, the hopelessness and sadness clearly displayed on her face.

"I know I need to fix things with Alexis, but I just can't right now," she sighs again. "I don't even want to think about it tonight."

"Then don't," he says, standing up to tuck her in and kiss her forehead. "You rest. I'll be making a few phone calls right outside the door if you need anything."

She closes her eyes and nods, giving her stomach a gentle caress. She drifts off to sleep thinking of the day when she can hold her beautiful baby in her arms.

x.x.x.x.x

When she wakes, it's very early in the morning and she finds a dozing Josh cuddled up with a dozing Simone on the chair across the room. She smiles at how sweet they look. Her stirring wakes them up.

"Are you doing okay?" Simone asks, letting out a yawn and a graceful, cat like stretch. Josh gets up to check her monitors again.

"Everything still looks good," he reports. "I think the medicine worked at stopping the labor. You're going to want to see your doctor in a week or so, but I think everything is fine. As long as you take it easy."

"That means staying reclined and hydrated," Simone chimes in. "You probably don't need to be on complete bedrest, but try to do as little as possible."

"No work?" Beckett frowns.

"Seeing as how you chase and grill criminals for a living, no," Josh laughs. "The goal is to minimize stress on yourself and on the baby."

"You can catch up on your reading. Your husband's latest is amazing," Simone gushes.

"You're a fan," Beckett smiles, suddenly warming up to the woman.

They start talking about all of Castle's books, not noticing when Josh sneaks out the room. He returns an hour later … and he's not alone.

"Kate?"

She looks up at the door, a smile lighting her face.

"You made it," she says, reaching her arms out for Castle.

"Josh picked me up from the airport," Castle explains, before turning to the man. "Thank you. Thank you both so much for taking care of my family."

"We'll give you some privacy," Josh says, taking Simone by the hand and leading her out the door.

Again, Beckett barely notices when Josh leaves. All her focus is on Castle.

"I'm so glad you're here," she smiles, reaching out to cup his cheek with her hand.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he says, leaning down to kiss her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

"No, don't be. I'm fine. The baby is fine. It was just a little bump in the road. It would have happened whether you were here or not."

She's not entirely sure that's true. She probably would have avoided the fight with Alexis if Castle were in town. But then again, maybe not. The fight was inevitable. She just wishes she knew a way to get Alexis to believe her and trust in her again. It hurts to know the girl hates her so much.

Without realizing it, a tear drips down her cheek and onto their clasped hands.

"You okay?" Castle asks, wiping her tears away.

"I am now," she smiles, not wanting to get into what happened with Alexis. She folds herself into his arms and snuggles into his embrace. "I'm better than okay now that you're here. I love you, Castle."

"I love you too," he says, rubbing her back gently. He can tell something more is going on, but he'll give her time. She'll eventually tell him what's bothering her.

"Hey, Castle," Josh calls from the door, startling them both. "Sorry to disturb you, but can you come out here for a second?"

"Be right back," Castle says, winking at a confused Beckett before following Josh out the door.

He comes face to face with a hallway full of family. He realizes with some dismay that he has a lot of explaining to do.

"Katie's pregnant?" Jim asks him, almost accusingly. "And you left her to deal with almost losing the baby all by herself?"

"She's fine, Mr. Beckett," Josh assures him. "She just needs more rest and less stress."

"Jim, why don't you go in to see her," Castle suggest. "I'm sure she'll like that."

Jim walks into the room, leaving Alexis and Martha out with Castle and Josh.

"Is that what did this? Stress?" Alexis asks weakly, her face very pale even in comparison to her normal fair complexion.

"What exactly happened?" Martha asks.

"She was at work and started having contractions. Some pretty strong and regular ones. Her co-workers called us and we brought her here for some drugs to stop the labor," Josh explains.

"But it was so late. What was she doing at work?" Castle wonders aloud. He notices the strained looks between his mother, daughter, and Josh and wonders what's going on. "Come to think of it, what are you two doing here in town so early? I thought you were going to be on your trip until the weekend. That's when Kate and I planned on telling you all about the baby."

"We came back early," is all Martha says, stealing a glance at Alexis who has suddenly found the floor tiles very interesting.

"Apparently, Kate and Alexis had words, isn't that right Alexis?" Josh asks her straight out.

Alexis gasps, then gulps before looking up guiltily at her father.

"What's he talking about, Baby?"

"I said some things," Alexis mumbles quietly. "They weren't very nice. Kate was kind of upset when she left."

"Sweetheart, you called her a cheating whore," Martha reminds her.

"Alexis!" Castle nearly shouts before realizing where he is. "Why would you even say a thing like that? You know what? Nevermind. No wonder she was so upset. She's still in there crying, for God's sake."

"She is?" Alexis has the decency to feel guilty. Guilty enough to finish confessing the rest of her sins. "I said something else, though. I lied and said you didn't want anymore kids and that I'd feel sorry for any kid who would have her for a mother."

In all her 19 years of life, Alexis has never seen her father's face turn that particular shade of red. Purple, really. His eyes are flashing a cold, cold blue that chills her to her bones.

"Mother, can you take Alexis home, please," is all he says after a long minute of deep breaths in and out to try to calm himself down.

"Daddy …"

"Not right now, Alexis," he says, shaking his head at her when she tries to take a step towards him.

She nods before turning to run down the hall, the sounds of her tears echoing in the hall.

"Mother?"

"I'll go with her. Don't worry, she'll be fine. You look after Kate, Darling."

Martha follows Alexis out.

"Oh my God," Castle says wearily, rubbing his hands over his face. "What just happened? How do I fix this?"

"For what it's worth … " Josh starts, but then shakes his head. "No. I got nothing. Sorry."

"I know you may not think much of me, but I raised Alexis so much better than that," Castle swears. "I don't understand where this is coming from."

"One day," Josh says, "you're going to have to sit them both down and find out. But not today. Today, you're going to take care of your wife and unborn child and worry about everything else later. Frankly, I don't think Kate could take anymore upset right now. But you know how strong and strong willed she is. She's determined to make things right with Alexis. For Kate's sake, and the baby's, I hope she succeeds."

Josh pats Castle on the shoulder and leaves the man to think about his dilemma. Josh doesn't envy the man for the situation he's in. But like he told Castle, his concern is for Kate. He can only hope and pray things work out for them all.


	6. Part 1 - Chapter 5

Make You Feel My Love

Part I - Battle Lines Drawn

Chapter 5

* * *

"Ooh, let me get that out your way," Castle says, running ahead of Beckett to pick up an imaginary piece of debris. She just shakes her head.

"Castle, the trip from the hospital has been fairly uneventful and accident free," Beckett points out. "We're home now. I think we're good."

"Just making sure you and the baby are safe," he says earnestly, his puppy dog eyes turned her way. She can never resist that look and it makes her heart melt. But then, she catches him sneak a glance at his watch and she suddenly gets suspicious.

"Castle, what's going on?" she asks when she realizes this little concerned 'act' of his might very well be just that … an act.

"What do you mean?" he asks innocently. A little too innocently. Her suspicions grow.

"It took us forever to get home from the hospital," she notes. "And you keep glancing at your watch and checking your phone. Something is going on."

She stares at him. He just stares back. But, she makes a living out of making the hardest of criminals crack under the pressure of her glare. Her skills don't fail her now.

"Fine," he sighs. "Lanie and the guys wanted to throw a little surprise welcome home party for you. They're inside the apartment now finishing up with the decorations and food."

"A party? For me?"

She has to admit, she is surprised. And to her dismay, her eyes start to tear up.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes quickly when he notices she's upset. "We just thought a party would be nice."

"It _is_ nice," she says, wiping her eyes. "It's these hormones."

"So these are happy tears?"

"Very happy," she smiles. "This is so sweet. I love it. And I love you."

She leans him to give him a quick kiss.

"Let's go in," he whispers, even though it's suddenly the last thing he wants to do. He wouldn't mind some alone time with his wife. All they can do is cuddle for awhile, since the doctor banned sex for the time being. But it's been days since he's just held her in his arms. Right now, that's sounding just about perfect.

Reluctantly, he opens the door and ushers her inside.

"Surprise!" All their friends and family yell.

Again, tears spring to her eyes and she seems genuinely surprised by the display.

"You guys are the best," she says, walking around to hug everyone. She's surprised, and surprisingly pleased, to see that even Josh and Simone were able to make it.

Before long, Castle makes sure she's settled comfortably on the couch and goes to get her something to eat. Alexis is in the kitchen.

"How is she?" Alexis asks cautiously.

"Do you really want to know?" Castle snaps, before reigning in his anger at his daughter. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No, you're mad. I get it. I understand," she nods.

"I'm just … confused," he sighs. "I don't understand what's happening with you, Alexis."

"I just don't want her to hurt you, Dad," Alexis tells him. "I was convinced she was lying to you and cheating on you. Remember when you were so worried about her and Erik Vaughn? Well, I overheard her talking to Lanie about "something" that happened with him that night. Something that you'll never know about."

"And you assume she cheated?"

"What else could it have been?" Alexis challenges. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Well, she told me everything that happened," Castle insists. "She didn't cheat."

"I really didn't," Beckett says, coming up behind the two.

"Hey, you're supposed to be resting," Castle lightly scolds her. "Let's go get you settled on the couch again."

"Not yet, Castle. Please," she begs. "I need to clear things up with Alexis. This distance between us is killing me."

"Really?" Alexis asks tentatively. "I didn't think you'd ever want to see me or speak to me again."

"Alexis, look at me," Beckett orders gently, lifting the girl's chin with her hand. "I have always been straight with you. I have always been truthful. So I'm going to tell you something and you need to believe that it's the truth."

"Okay," she nods.

"That night at the hotel when I was protecting Erik Vaughn, nothing happened. He hit on me and tried to kiss me, but I pushed him away. Your father knows all of this already," Beckett says.

"You do?" Alexis asks him.

"Of course," he tells her. "Kate and I wouldn't have gone into a marriage with secrets between us. And we've been together long enough to know that there are going to be bumps in the road, but that we can work through them. No matter what, Pumpkin. We're in this for the long haul."

"For always," Beckett smiles at him, her gaze turning gooey and loving.

"But what was it you were telling Lanie? What about that night doesn't my dad know?"

"It's so silly," Beckett says, nearly blushing. And embarrassed to be having to speak about this. "I swear, I'm never going to hear this end of this."

"What?" Castle asks, perplexed and amused by her reaction.

"Erik asked a lot of questions that night. Questions about you, about our relationship, whether or not it was serious. And I didn't know how to answer. Not until that bullet came through the window and almost killed him. Maybe even me, too."

"I never thought of it that way," Castle says soberly, reaching out to wrap his arms around her. "I could have lost you. If not to Erik Vaughn, then to a bullet."

"Never to Erik," she says with a smile. "That's what I realized that night. What I didn't want you to know, for whatever silly reason. I realized that you are everything. Sure, Erik is a billionaire and had the fancy suite and the fancy champagne and the fancy words. But he wasn't you. He could never measure up to you in my eyes. None of what he said or did meant anything to me. When he almost died, I would have felt bad for failing at my job, but that's about it. Castle, if that had been you standing there about to kiss me, I wouldn't have pushed you away. The bullet that came through that window would have hit you. And that would have destroyed me. Because nothing matters to me as much as you do."

He swallows once, then twice, trying to dislodge the knot of emotion building in this throat.

"So, uh … that's why you came over and all but proposed to me," he manages to say, trying to lighten the moment.

"I did not," she laughs, grateful for his levity. "I just made it clear that should you propose to me, I wouldn't be saying no."

"Well, whatever that reasons, we finally ended up on the same page," he says quietly, stroking her cheek with the back of his palm. "And I couldn't be happier."

"Me either," she smiles, before a stunned expression grows on her face. Her hands fly down to her stomach.

"Kate, are you okay?" Alexis asks, instantly concerned.

"Is it the baby?" Castle asks, almost in a panic.

"Yes," she nods, her voice filled with awe. "I mean, I'm fine. We're fine. But I think the baby just moved."

She moves her hands around her belly some more to see if she can feel anything from the outside, but is dismayed to realize she can't. Maybe she just imagined it. Right then, she feels the flutters again.

"It's so weird," she giggles. "It's just a flutter or ripple or something. Just a light sensation, but on the inside."

"Can I feel?" Alexis asks, holding her hand.

"You can try," Beckett says, taking the girl's hand and bringing it to her stomach to let her know it's all right. "I don't think you can feel anything. But the baby can start getting used to its big sister."

"Aww, I'm going to be a big sister." The smile on her face is almost enough to make Beckett start crying again. But she manages to hold it in this time.

"So, not a contraction?" Castle asks to be sure, sighing in relief when she shakes her head. The doctor warned them that labor could start up again if she didn't take it easy. It's a relief to know everything is fine. But just to be on the safe side, he's going to make things as stress free for her as possible.

"The baby is fine. We're both fine," she assures him with a smile. "And we're going to stay that way because I'm going to do whatever it takes to remain calm and unstressed."

"That may be easier said than done."

They turn around at the sound of Lanie's voice. She's standing on the other side of the kitchen island, a scowl on her face that instantly worries Beckett.

"You have a visitor," is all she says before walking away.

"Hello Richard. Alexis, Baby. Come give Mommy a hug."

"Meredith."

All at once, Castle realizes Lanie is right. Keeping things light and stress free with Meredith around will be near impossible. He can only hope this will be a brief visit.

"What are you doing here?" he can't help but ask. "How long are you staying?"

"Forever, Kitten. I'm moving back."

This is not good, Castle thinks to himself. Not good at all. He has a sinking feeling that things are about to turn the complete opposite of calm and stress free. When Meredith is around, there's no such thing.

* * *

End of Part I


	7. Part 2 - Chapter 1

Title: Make You Feel My Love - Part 2

Author: NickyM96

Rating: K+

Summary: An unexpected visitor threatens the new and tentative truce formed between Beckett and Alexis.

* * *

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 1

* * *

"_Fine, let's say it isn't about sex. It's about boundaries. Meredith is marking her territory. You can't just let her waltz in and out whenever she pleases … This is a war, Girl, and guess who's losing." - Lanie Parish_

_x.x.x.x.x_

"_Meredith is a fun, dynamic, and hard to say no to woman. But, as long as we're together, she never stays here again." - Kate Beckett_

_x.x.x.x.x_

"It looks like she's staying here again," Beckett says, mostly to herself, as she observes the Castle, Alexis, and Meredith huddle on the other side of the room. She left them over there to straighten things out. She didn't feel like getting involved. It would be more stress than she's willing to take on.

Lanie is standing nearby and overhears the comment.

"I warned you about this," she says, shaking her head at her best friend. "Didn't I tell you when she was here the last time about setting boundaries? Didn't I tell you about her waltzing in and out whenever she pleases?"

"Lanie, I know. This shouldn't be happening, but it is," Beckett sighs in resignation. "And I just don't have the strength right now to fight this battle."

"You're right," Lanie nods, her anger abating some. Her eyes drop to Beckett's stomach where the woman is stroking in round, comforting circles. "You have better things to worry about."

Lanie sets down her glass of champagne and takes Beckett's hand, pulling her towards the bedroom.

"You don't need to worry about any of this right now. You just got out of the hospital," Lanie reminds both Beckett and herself. "Let's get you to bed and then I'll get rid of all the party guests."

"This is a nightmare, Lanie," Beckett says quietly, mindlessly following her friend. "Why is she even here?"

"Sit down," Lanie orders, grabbing Beckett's wrist and checking her pulse. "I need to get Josh in here to check you out."

"I'm fine," Beckett says, pulling her arm away when she finally realizes what Lanie is doing. "I'm just surprised by Meredith's unexpected visit. Let Josh and Simone enjoy themselves."

"Ugh, you mean let Javy enjoy ogling that amazon goddess," Lanie groans, rolling her eyes. "He can't keep his eyes off of her. And what's with that happy act? No one can have that much to be so happy about all the time."

"She grows on you," Beckett smiles, grateful for the distraction. "And strangely enough, she's a good match for Josh. He really likes her. He looks at her in a way he never looked at me."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Of course," Beckett says quickly and honestly. "I kind of felt bad because of how things ended between us. I was in such a bad place after the shooting and I was dealing with that and how Castle said he loved me and Montgomery's death … my head just wasn't right. Truth be told, I had gone a little crazy, Lanie."

Becket sighs, remembering back to that bad time when she sat for months alone in her dad's cabin. She had cut everyone off. Not just Josh, but even Lanie and Castle.

"It's good he was able to find someone to love him the way he deserves to be loved," Beckett continues. "I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about as far as Espo is concerned. Simone only has eyes for Josh and despite how he's acting, Javy is nuts about you, Lanie."

"All the more reason to end this little shindig," Lanie says, making sure Beckett is settled on the bed before turning to leave. "I'll get my man away from that supermodel humanitarian of the year and show him how good things come in small packages."

Lanie flashes a grin and shoots her a wink before walking out the door.

"If only things were going to be that easy for me," Beckett sighs, rubbing her belly. She lays back and closes her eyes, trying to relax. She has a feeling things are about to get pretty bumpy in Casa de Castle. All she can do is hold on and try to survive the ride.

x.x.x.x.x

What seems like hours later Castle finally stumbles into their bedroom and curls himself around her.

"Meredith get settled in the guest room okay?" she asks sleepily.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I had no idea she would show up. And Alexis invited her to stay before I could send her to a hotel."

"It's fine," Beckett says.

"No, it's not fine," Castle says. "I promised you she wouldn't stay here again."

She rolls over to face him, cupping his cheek in her hand. She kisses the sad pout off his lips.

"I'm sure where she sleeps tonight is going to be the least of our troubles with her over the next few days," Beckett says. "I can't afford to stress over the small stuff. And neither should you, okay?"

"You are the best," he says, returning her kisses. He has to stop himself when his hands start wandering. "The doctor says we can't."

"I know," she sighs in disappointment. She snuggles into his arms instead. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispers, kissing her on the top of her head. He strokes her back until she drifts back to sleep.

Several hours later, she wakes him up.

"Castle," she whispers, poking him in the chest. "Are you still awake?"

"I'm up," he yawns. "You okay? Is it the baby?"

His eyes pop open in panic when he sees her sitting on the side of the bed in her robe.

"No, we're fine," she assures him.

He lets out a relieved sigh. It's going to be awhile, maybe never even, before he stops jumping to the worst possible scenario where the baby is concerned. This last incident taught him to always be watchful and aware. He won't be caught of guard or out of place again.

"What's up?" he scrubs his hands across his tired eyes and sits up in the bed.

"I got hungry. I was looking for the graham crackers."

"Hungry?" he asks, his confused mind still trying to wake up. "Want me to fix you something?"

Her bright smile takes him by surprise.

"Could you? A smorelette, maybe?"

That is the magic word that gets him moving. It's the rare palate that can appreciate his specialty omelette. Far be it for him to deny his baby the wonder that is the smorelette.

"Coming right up," he says with an eager grin, all but jumping out the bed. He grabs his robe and goes out into the kitchen, leaving her to use the bathroom.

He pulls out the necessary ingredients for his famous smorelette and starts to makes two, one for him and one for Beckett. It would be rude to make her eat alone.

"That smells, um ... interesting."

He frowns when Meredith comes slinking up to him. He was expecting to not see her or deal with her until the morning.

"What do you want, Meredith?" he asks her, not even attempting to be polite. Surprise visits from Meredith in the past have meant one thing … she was out of money and was looking to get more from him before her next alimony payment. In the past, if he was single at the time, he allowed her to play her little game. They'd spend most of her visit in bed and when it was over, he'd let her think she talked him out of some funds. But this time is different.

"Can't a woman come and visit her family?" she asks, fluttering her wide eyes at him.

"Things are different, Meredith. You know I'm with Beckett," he tells her. "We're married. I'm not going to be messing around with you anymore. I told you that years ago."

Years ago, before he was even with Beckett officially. He realized quickly that he loved her. And after that fiasco with Gina, he decided he was content to wait for Beckett. No more dabbling with his exes.

"Come on, Kitten," she practically purrs. "It's the middle of the night. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"You're not here for me. You're not even here to see Alexis," he says, stopping her when she stalks towards him. "You're here for money. And this time, you're not getting it. You're lucky I'm paying for your hotel for the next week. After that, you're going to have to figure out something on your own."

He turns from the woman and transfers the completed smorelettes onto two plates. He bends down to the cabinet below him to pull out the tray he's going to use to carry the meal to the bed for Beckett and forgets that Meredith doesn't take no for an answer.

"Meredith," he squeaks out when she grabs his butt. "Stop."

He grabs the spatula to hold her off, but that doesn't stop her either.

"You know you want me, Richard," she taunts. "You never could say no to me."

"Sounds like that's exactly what he just said."

Meredith spins around to find Beckett leaning against the counter, her anger barely contained.

"You think you can get away from my husband now?"

"Kate," Meredith gasps, feigning innocence. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Right," Beckett says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She grabs her smorelette and a fork and goes back into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

"Looks like someone is in the doghouse," Meredith grins. "Poor Richard. Need a place to sleep tonight?"

"What is wrong with you, Meredith?" he asks her angrily. "What part of any of this isn't registering with you? I am in love with and married to Kate. Whatever arrangement you and I had is over and has been over for years."

"Fine," she pouts, finally backing away from him. "But you'll know where to find me when you're done messing around with Kate."

She slinks her way up the stairs, trying to be sexy and seductive. But he just shakes his head. Something is going on with her. She's being too forward and too desperate. He can only hope her brand of trouble doesn't pull Alexis in. The last thing his daughter needs right now is to be mixed up in Meredith craziness. The last thing either of his kids needs is Meredith hanging around. He looks towards his closed bedroom door and sighs. Better go make things right with his wife.

He makes a cup of coffee and takes it into the room as a peace offering. Beckett usually forgives him for any sin if he comes bearing the gift of coffee.

"Is that for me?" she asks when he walks into the room.

"I thought you deserved it," he says with a little smirk. "Sorry about ..."

"Castle, stop apologizing for her," Beckett interrupts him. "I know that none of this is your fault."

She takes a deep breath of the coffee and sighs in appreciation at the smell of it. She wants some so badly, but resists taking a sip. She's not willing to risk it. She just got out of the hospital and isn't trying to go back anytime soon.

"You're not going to drink any?" he asks.

"It was a nice thought, but no," she says, shaking her head. "Baby comes first from now on."

She sets the coffee on the bedside table next to the empty smorelette plate.

"That is why I'm doing my best to stay calm about this Meredith situation," she says, reaching out for him. "It's why I'm resisting pulling you down on this bed with me and having my way with you."

She pulls him on top of her and kisses him deeply.

"Could have fooled me," he gasps when she lets him up for air.

He leans down to kiss her again, but she pushes him off and rolls over.

"Go to sleep, Castle," she says, hiding her grin. "You have a long day of dealing with that crazy ex-wife of yours tomorrow. You're going to need your strength to fight her off."

"Ugh, this is payback, isn't it?" he groans. "For letting Meredith stay here."

Despite his frustration, he can't help but smile. It seems his wife has picked up a new trick. Instead of getting mad, she's getting even. Meredith better watch out. She may be good at playing games, but she's never gone up against an opponent like Kate Beckett. Castle almost feels sorry for her.

He pulls Beckett into his arms and they both fall into a deep sleep.


	8. Part 2 - Chapter 2

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 2

* * *

Meredith scowls, looking around at the less than first class accommodations she's landed. She expected a suite at the Four Seasons. What she got was several steps below that. There's not even a butler and Richard is making her pay for her own room service.

"This is nice, Mom," Alexis says, trying to be nice. "You'll be comfortable here."

"I'd rather be with you, Sweetheart. At the penthouse," Meredith frowns. "Why your father is being like this is beyond me. I bet it's that new wife of his."

"Kate?"

"She's jealous of me, Alexis. And she feels threatened. She can probably see that your father isn't over me. He'll never be over me."

"I don't think that's it, Mom," Alexis tells her, her expression dubious. "Dad's been in love with Kate for a long time. And now with the baby on the way ..."

"Baby? She's pregnant?" Meredith asks, her eyes wide in shock.

She plops down on the bed, truly stunned. She was not expecting this particular obstacle.

"Mom, are you okay?" Alexis calls to her. "You got really pale for a second. Do you need some water?"

That shakes her out of her stupor. A bottle of water in this place would cost her a fortune. She's able to stop Alexis before the girl opens it.

"I'm fine," she manages to say, her breathing still coming a little fast. "You just took me by surprise."

"Does it bother you? That he's having a baby with Kate?"

It bothers her more than Alexis will ever know. But she can't say anything about why it bothers her. But she's an actress. Maybe, just maybe, she can use this to her advantage.

"Does it bother you, Honey?"

"Maybe a little," Alexis shrugs. "For so long, I was the most important person in Dad's life, you know? Now he has Kate. And the new baby is coming soon. They pushed you out of the penthouse this morning because Kate was "uncomfortable" with you there. Will I be next?"

"Why do you think that?"

"Kate and I haven't exactly been getting along," Alexis confesses.

"Aww," is all Meredith says, as she throws a comforting arm around Alexis's shoulders. But a plan is starting to form in her head. A plan that will get her just what she came for.

"Alexis, Honey, I'm starving. You think you can run down the block and pick us up some sandwiches from that deli we passed? I'm not sure I have any cash, but ..."

"Not a problem. My treat," Alexis says, giving her a small smile before walking out the hotel room.

Meredith waits until she hears the sound of the elevators before she picks up her cell phone and dials a number.

"Henri, it's me," she says into the phone when the intended party answers.

"Do you have the money?" he asks bluntly, foregoing any niceties.

"There's going to be a problem with that," she regretfully informs him. "Seems my ex has gotten himself a new wife and baby on the way. Getting money from him won't be as easy as I thought."

"But you know we need it," he growls in his thick, French accent. "We need to marry so that I can stay in the states, but if we marry your alimony will stop. We need to get as much money from your husband as we can before the payments stop."

"I'm trying, Henri," she snaps at him. "He's not falling for my usual ploys. I'm telling you, it's that wife of his. She's the problem. But I think I've found a solution ... my daughter."

She outlines her plan and he listens patiently, thinking it over as she explains things.

"That could work," he says.

"It will work," Meredith assures him. "Richard Castle will do anything for his daughter. This is actually better. Because my hands will be clean. When that marriage falls apart, all the blame will be on Alexis. And I'll be the one who's there to pick up the pieces of her life. For once, I'll be her hero and she'll love me best."

"So long as we get the money," Henri says before hanging up.

"We'll get the money," Meredith mutters to herself. Then she smiles. Her plan is pretty brilliant. She's about to have it all. And she's not going to let a little nobody like Kate Beckett stand in her way. That woman is about to regret the day she ever stepped foot in the life that was meant to be Meredith's.

x.x.x.x.x

The next few days are restful and peaceful. Beckett hates to admit it, but it's because Alexis is gone. She decided to stay at the hotel with Meredith and bond with her mother. As much as Beckett would have liked to have tried to mend more fences with Alexis, she's also relieved not to worry so much about what she can or can't say around the girl.

"I think this is the most relaxed I've seen you since our honeymoon," Castle says.

She looks up from her spot on the couch in his office and notices he's staring at her.

"I thought you were supposed to be working," Beckett smiles. "If I'm a distraction, I can always go back into the living room."

"No, stay," he insists. "It's good having my muse here. I just love how peaceful you look."

"It's been nice and quiet around here," Beckett says with a shrug. "No phones ringing, no people running around."

"No Alexis," he mentions.

She bites her lip and looks away.

"Listen, Beckett.I understand things have been tense between you two. And I know that with Meredith in town, things have gotten even worse. I honestly don't know what's gotten into Alexis. I don't know why she's acting this way."

"A lot has happened to her in the past couple months," Beckett says. "Between her kidnapping and our wedding and then finding out the way she did about the baby. It's a lot to deal with. Especially if she's not getting help."

"She won't do therapy. She says she's fine."

"I thought I was fine too," she says after a long silence. "After my shooting, I thought I could get better on my own. But I was a mess, Castle. Dr. Burke helped me put my life back together. You remember how I was. I was spiralling out of control. I needed help."

"You think that's what's going on with her?" he asks. "Post traumatic stress?"

"I can't say," she shrugs. "But I do believe that for whatever reason, Alexis now sees me as some kind of threat and she's doing whatever she can to protect herself, and you, from me."

"You're right," he admits. "She needs to get some help. I've let this go on long enough. As soon as Meredith is gone, I'll make sure she sees someone."

"Ugh, speaking of Meredith. When _is _she leaving?"

"I wish I knew," Castle rolls his eyes. "She's up to something. I just wish I knew what. It probably has to do with money. That's what she always wants. Ooh, maybe we can have Ryan and Esposito check into her financials. That could give us some answers."

"Seriously?" Beckett asks, amused at his suggestion. And slightly dismayed that she didn't think of it first.  
"You think investigating you ex-wife will help."

"Couldn't hurt," Castle shrugs. He turns his attention back to his writing and tries to make some progress. But he can't help but think about what he said to Beckett about Meredith. He's sure she's up to something. He just doesn't know what. Why not do a little digging to see what they can uncover?

x.x.x.x.x

Alexis cringes when Meredith orders another glass of wine with their dinner. Fortunately, they're eating in the restaurant attached to the hotel. So she won't have to wrestle her drunken mother very far. But still, she's concerned. She's never seen her mother drink so much or get so drunk. There's obviously something bothering her. Alexis is determined to find out what.

"Mom, maybe you should slow down a little on the wine," Alexis suggests, trying to not to seem like she's condemning her mother.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I'm just a little bit upset. I can't get over what your father did to me … oops," Meredith says, putting a hand up to her mouth. "Wasn't supposed to tell you about that."

"About what?" Alexis presses. This is the first she's heard of any tension between her parents. Maybe her mother being so drunk won't be such a bad thing. Maybe she can get some answers to questions she's always wanted to know.

"Nothing," Meredith insists, with a forlorn sigh. "Nothing at all."

She lets her eyes start to get a little watery for good measure. Nothing like an emotional heart to heart between a mother and her daughter. It's a good way to let certain things … 'slip' and send a naive young girl in the right direction. Meredith knows she has to play this right because Alexis isn't stupid. But for some reason, she wants to see the worst in Kate Beckett. Meredith can use that to suit her purposes.

"Come on, Mom," Alexis says gently, covering her mother's hand with her own. "Just tell me what's going on. It'll stay between us."

"You'll tell him," Meredith pouts. "You tell your father everything."

"I won't tell him this," Alexis promises. "Not if you don't want me to. I'm your daughter, too. Give me a chance to be on your side. Now what did Daddy do to you?"

"He made me think he loved me again," Meredith finally admits. "He made me think we had a chance."

"When?" Alexis asks dubiously.

"A couple months ago," Meredith shrugs. "Obviously before anything with this marriage to Kate and the baby came up. I guess that's why he ended up marrying her. He was supposed to be leaving her. For me."

"You think she trapped him with the baby?"

"I just think it's suspicious timing. How far along is she anyway?"

"Like four or five months?" Alexis guesses. "I'm not really sure. But I do know they've been married more than six months. So she wasn't pregnant when they got married."

"She could have told him she was, though. To get him to marry her," Meredith explains. "Then managed to get pregnant after the wedding. It happens. Some women are tricky like that."

Meredith was tricky like that. But she'll never admit that to Alexis.

"I just wish …." Meredith trails off, trying to play this part smooth and easy to get Alexis to do what she wants without having to explicitly tell her.

"Wish what, Mom?"

Meredith almost laughs at the look of pity in her daughter's eyes. She really is a much better actress than people give her credit for.

"I sometimes wish your father would remember the good times we had," Meredith sighs. "Maybe then he'll remember how right we were together."

"But he seems to really love Kate," Alexis points out.

"I'm just talking, just being silly and nostalgic," Meredith says, waving off her mood. She wipes a tear she managed to squeeze from her eyes. "Haven't you ever wondered, though, what it would be like if we were a family again? You, me, and Daddy?"

Alexis just frowns and nods. Of course she's thought of it. What child of divorce hasn't? It's the ultimate dream, for the parents to get back together and for them all to live happily ever after. But it's been a long time since she's had that as a dream. Too long, perhaps. Maybe that's her problem, Alexis figures. Maybe putting her family back together will fix whatever seems to be broken inside her. It's hard finding anything to be happy about these days. But just the thought of being a whole family again is the happiest she's been in awhile. Maybe this is her purpose in life. To put things back to how they're supposed to be.

"Wouldn't it be great?" Meredith pushes, seeing that her words are having the desired effect on Alexis. "Just the three of us. In our home. Together like we belong."

"Yeah," Alexis nods, almost in a trance at the thought. "Our home."

"I'm not even allowed in our home anymore. How is that right?"

"It's not," Alexis says, determination flaring in her eyes. "But I'm going to fix it. Mom, just wait and see. I'm going to fix things. No one, especially not Kate Beckett, is going to keep you out of your own home."

Meredith takes a healthy swallow of her wine to hide her smile. Her plan is working perfectly. Alexis has found her mission, she's found her goal. Nothing is going to stop her now. Meredith just has to sit back and reap the benefits of her daughter's hard work.

x.x.x.x.x

Beckett's in the kitchen later that evening when Alexis comes in.

"Hey Alexis," she says, a little surprised to see the girl. "I thought you were staying with your mother. I didn't know you'd be home for dinner. Do you want me to fix you a plate too?"

"Should you be doing that?" Alexis asks, a little note of concern in her voice. "I thought the doctor told you to take it easy."

"I'm fine," Beckett tells her, smiling down at her belly and giving it a little pat. "We both get a little restless when I just lay around all day. I'm just fixing a light dinner for your father."

"Thanks, but I already ate," Alexis tells her. She looks around at the seemingly empty apartment. "Where is Dad anyway?"

"In his office finishing up a chapter. I was just taking him something to eat so he won't have to stop his work," Beckett explains.

"Would you mind if I took it in to him?" Alexis asks. "It seems like it's been so long since I've had a chance to talk to him. Just the two of us."

Beckett can read between the lines and understands that she's not invited to this little dinner. It bothers her a bit, but she doesn't really mind. Alexis is right. She hasn't seen much of Castle lately. Beckett doesn't want to be accused of ever coming between them. So she lets Alexis do what she's asking.

"That's perfect," Beckett says, pasting on a fake smile. "You go eat with your father and keep him company and I'll go take a long soak in the tub. It'll be nice and relaxing."

"Thanks so much," Alexis says, her smile equally as fake. She moves across the room and grabs the tray of food off the counter. She waits until Beckett disappears into the bedroom before taking it into the office with her dad.

"Knock knock."

Castle looks up from his work and is surprised to see Alexis standing in the doorway with dinner.

"Alexis! Hi, Pumpkin. What's going on?"

Castle stands from his desk and goes to take the tray of food from Alexis. They go to a table he has set up across the room and take their seats.

"Just a little dinner with my dad while Kate enjoys a nice bath," Alexis explains, setting the table for the two of them. "Do you mind?"

Castle glances quickly towards the door, some concern in his eyes. But he figures she's fine. He just worries when she's out of his sight.

"Of course not. It's good to see you. I've missed you. You've been hanging with your mom so much these past few days. How is that going?"

"Great!" Alexis exaggerates. "We've been talking about old times, about how happy we all used to be. We both miss those times."

Castle wrinkles his forehead in confusion. Alexis was only three when Meredith left. There aren't any good times to remember. But he doesn't want to make Alexis think he was completely miserable all the time back then. So he changes the subject.

"How's school?" he asks her instead. She tells him general things about school, but she keeps drifting back to the subject of Meredith. At one time, she even hints at a reconciliation. Again he's confused. Alexis knows better than anyone why he'd never want to get back with Meredith. He can't help but wonder why she's suddenly pushing for it.

He doesn't hide his relief when Beckett pokes her head into the door.

"Beckett! Come join us," he invites, waving her in the room.

Beckett catches the heated glare Alexis shoots her way that makes her physically take a step back.

"Uh, no thanks," she manages to defer. "I think I'm just going to head to bed. I just wanted to say good night."

Castle gives her a strange look, but nods and lets her go.

Once in the safety of their bedroom, Beckett picks up her phone and calls the one person she can talk to right. What she just overheard between Castle and Alexis disturbs her too much to let go.

"Hi Lanie," she says quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear her conversation.

"Kate! How's it going?"

"Well, my stepdaughter is trying to push me out of her father's life and home. Other than that, I'm great," Beckett tells her sarcastically.

Lanie just sighs and settles in for the long conversation ahead. She knew Meredith would be trouble. Meredith is always trouble. She just hopes her friend will finally do something about that woman once and for all before someone is hurt beyond repair. And she sincerely hopes that person isn't Kate Beckett.


	9. Part 2 - Chapter 3

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 3

* * *

Two weeks pass and Alexis has come by three more times for her "private" dinners and conversations with Castle. Castle always tries to get Beckett to join them, but she continues to refuse. She joined them once and got almost sick to her stomach at the number of times Alexis brought up the "old days" and the "good times" their family used to enjoy with Meredith in the past. It's much less stressing and distressing to just stay away.

But Beckett can't help but wonder if Alexis has a legitimate complaint. Beckett tries to think how she would react to her father remarrying and another woman taking her mother's place in the home they all shared. She doesn't think she'd like it very much so she can't imagine Alexis accepting it either. She can't seem to do anything else right in Alexis' eyes, but maybe she can do something about this. Maybe there's some way she can assure the girl she's not trying to push her out of her home.

"Earth to Kate ..."

"What?" Beckett says, being shaken from her musings. She looks at Lanie, Simone, and Jenny, remembering she's out with them for a girls lunch and shopping day. The doctor gave her the all clear at her appointment the week before, and she's enjoying being able to get out of the penthouse.

"You phased out on us, Girl," Lanie says, stealing a french fry off her plate. "What's going on with you?"

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "What were you saying?"

"Jenny was telling you about a sale at the baby store," Simone fills her in, taking a hearty bite of her decadent pasta dish. The other women want to hate her for being able to eat like that and still look the way she does. But, they've found out that what Beckett discovered earlier was true ... she just grows on you. They can't help but like the extremely happy woman.

"But obviously you have something else on your mind," Jenny says. "Spill. It's still that ex of Rick's, isn't it?"

"Meredith doesn't bother me," Beckett claims. "It's Meredith's influence on Alexis that's starting to wear me down."

"You want me to talk to Alexis?" Lanie offers. "She seemed to trust me when she was my intern. Maybe I can convince her you're not the devil trying to take over her mother's life."

"I think I'm the least of Alexis' problems," Beckett sighs. "I'm just her outlet. She won't get therapy for what I assume are her real problems. So she blames me instead."

"And you let her," Lanie points out.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Beckett asks helplessly. "I remember when I was in her position. There was nothing anyone could do for me. I dumped Josh and ran away from my father, Lanie, and Castle. I did the same thing Alexis is doing. I just pushed away the people who cared about me the most instead of lashing out at them the way she's doing."

"What helped you?" Simone asks.

"My doctor," Beckett admits. "And letting my friends and family back in. They all helped when I finally let myself listen to them long enough to know I needed help."

"Alexis cares about you, Kate," Lanie assures her. "She used to talk about you all the time when she worked with me. She looks up to you and admires you and thinks you're perfect for her father."

If only that were still true, Beckett thinks to herself. The truth is, she and Alexis used to have a great relationship. But things have changed. It breaks her heart that Alexis just doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. The five years she's known the girl, she's grown to love, admire, and respect her. And while she refuses to completely give up on her, maybe it's time to get out of her way.

That thought plagues her throughout the rest of lunch and shopping. She gets home and leaves her packages downstairs, the door man promising to bring them up for her later. When she gets inside, she starts to call out to Castle, but voices from his office stop her.

"Alexis, you're being ridiculous," Castle says.

Beckett wonders if he's on the phone, but then hears the girl's voice and realizes she's in there with him.

"Why am I the ridiculous one? Why should I just sit back and let _her _keep you from being with Mom?"

Beckett can only assume she's the "_her_" to which Alexis is referring.

"Alexis, I don't want to be with your mother. To be honest, I never did. I only married her because she was pregnant with you. And even then I wasn't sure until after you were born that you were actually mine!"

Alexis gasps, the words coming like a slap. Despite how the girl has been acting towards her for the past couple of months, Beckett's heart breaks for her. She's on her way into the office to try to calm things down when the next words stop her.

"Why can't you just do this one thing for me?" Alexis sobs. "The one time I ask you for anything, and you're refusing."

"Alexis, you want me to leave my wife and unborn baby and get back together with your mother. Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

"Mom and I need you," Alexis cries. "Beckett doesn't need anybody. She never has. It's not fair that she gets to live here and Mom can't even step over the threshold. This is my home too. It was my home first."

"You're right," Beckett says, stepping into the office. She can't stand Alexis' pain and realizes her earlier thoughts were correct. All she can do is get out of her way. Get out of her home. "This is your home. I have no business being here."

"Kate?" Castle gasps. "What are you saying?"

"I can't stay here," Beckett tells him with a strange calmness that comes with knowing she's doing the right thing.

"I don't understand," Castle says, a confused look on his face. "You're ... leaving?"

"I don't belong here." A tear breaks free, making its way down Beckett's face. She turns to look at Alexis. "I'm so sorry. I have invaded your home, your space. I care about you and just thought we'd be able to be a family. But apparently that's not the case. I'm getting out of your way, Alexis. I hope this will finally make you happy because I can't think of anything else to do for you."

"Beckett! Kate," Castle call out to her as she takes her key off its ring and leaves it on the table by the door. She pauses briefly, looking sadly at the two of them before walking out.

Castle doesn't think twice about going after her. He catches her in the hallway by the elevator.

"You can't leave me," he begs, his puppy dog eyes full of hurt and confusion. "I love you."

"Castle," she sighs, cupping his cheek with her palm. "I love you, too. And I love Alexis. But I'm hurting her. Everyday she draws further and further away from me. And now it's starting to affect her relationship with you, too."

"It's not you. It's Meredith," he growls angrily.

"Probably," Beckett agrees. "But Meredith and I can't keep tearing Alexis in half. One of us has to let go for Alexis' sake. I'm the one who's letting go."

"That means you're letting go of me, too?"

"I hope not," Beckett says. "I'm not leaving you, Castle. But I can't live in this penthouse anymore."

"Oh," he sighs his relief. "Okay, that works. That's fine. I can deal with that."

He takes out his phone and makes some arrangements, holding her hand to keep her there because he's still a little worried she's trying to get away from him. He puts his phone away and looks at her.

"We're all set. I've reserved that amazing suite at the Four Seasons I've been trying to get you to," he tells her with a small smile. "We have it for the next month with the option for another couple months if needed. I'm not sure how long it'll take to find a new house or apartment."

"What are you saying?" she asks, her heart filling unexpectedly with joy. "You're coming with me?"

"Whither thou goest, I will go," he says with a shrug.

"That's from the Bible. And it's about a woman talking to her mother-in-law," Beckett says dryly.

"Well, it's also from my heart," Castle declares. "You're my wife, Kate. You and this baby are my family and despite what Alexis said, you two need me. And I need you. Alexis is grown and it's time for her to choose her own path. If this is the one she wants to take, so be it."

Beckett nods, then throws her arms around his neck.

"I'm still so sad for her," she whispers, holding on tighter.

"She'll find her way," he whispers back.

But at what cost, Beckett wonders silently.

x.x.x.x.x

After making sure Beckett got into a cab to to to the hotel, Castle goes back to the penthouse to start packing some things for the two of them to last until they can get some movers to pack up the rest of their stuff.

"You okay?" Alexis asks him warily. "I honestly didn't mean for her to just leave like that."

"But it's what you wanted, isn't it?" Castle nearly spits back at her, before calming himself, telling himself not to take his anger out on Alexis. She's not who he should be mad it. That honor belongs to Meredith. He's sure of it. "I'm fine, Baby. I just have to pack some things."

He leaves her standing there and goes into the room, closing the door behind him.

Worried about him, she picks up the phone and makes a call, hoping she's doing the right thing.

x.x.x.x.x

A half hour later, Castle has most the clothes packed into 2 suitcase. He places a third on the bed and starts packing up some of the baby things they've started to accumulate. A knock comes on the door.

"I said I'm fine, Alexis. I'll be out to talk to you in a minute," he calls out, going back to his packing.

"It's not Alexis."

He turns around, his blood boiling with rage, and shoots a venomous glare at Meredith.

"What are you doing here?"

"Alexis called me. She said Kate left."

"And you're here to what? Pick up the pieces? Comfort me? Make me forget that my pregnant wife just walked out of that door because you somehow managed to convince Alexis that Kate doesn't belong here? Newsflash, Meredith. You don't belong here, either. You _chose _to leave sixteen years ago. You left this house, you left your husband, and you left your child. And guess what? You're not welcome back."

"Richard," she gasps, lifting a horrified hand to her mouth.

"Get out of my way," he snarls.

He quickly finishes filling the last suitcase, slams it shut and drags all three bags to the front door. He leaves them there and walks over to Alexis, pulling her into a hug.

"I hope this is really what you want, Pumpkin." He kisses her on the forehead. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye? Wait! Where are you going?" she asks, her eyes wild with panic. "You're leaving?"

"Kate and I will be at the Four Seasons until we find a house. You can call anytime if you need us. Love you."

Alexis stands in open mouthed shock as Castle walks out the door. For some reason, she did _not _see that coming.

Meredith is just as much in shock. She didn't see that coming either. Her plan clearly didn't work as she thought. Now what is she going to do? She's dead in the water. She excuses herself then goes to call Henri. Time to call things off with him. She just hopes it's not too late.


	10. Part 2 - Chapter 4

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 4

* * *

It takes nearly six weeks to for Castle and Beckett to find a new home. And it didn't happen a day too soon. The longer they stayed in the hotel, the larger her stomach grew. The larger her stomach grew, the smaller the spacious hotel suite seemed. By the time moving day arrived, she was more than ready.

She had hoped that as time passed, Alexis would be more accepting of her being in Castle's life. Now that Beckett isn't living in what Alexis considers her childhood home and sanctuary, Beckett thought things would get better and less stressed. But they didn't. Alexis visited Castle once a week at the hotel, but seemed to do it when she knew Beckett wouldn't be around. And the few times Beckett was in residence at the time of her arrival, only a few, strained, terse words were spoken between the two of them. The girl was just as troubled as she was before. Maybe even more so. Even worse, Meredith was still hanging around. Beckett is glad she hasn't run into the woman any, but she knows she's still in town.

"Where to, Boss?" Esposito asks, breaking her out of her musing.

"Uh ... " Beckett stalls, looking at the box in her friend's arms. "Kitchen."

She directs Ryan and Josh to the appropriate rooms when they come in carrying boxes of their own. Her friends and were kind enough to help them move into the house. Beckett was nearly 7 months pregnant. She knew better than to even try to do any of the heavy lifting herself. With an over protective husband, two doctors, an EMT, two dectectives, and a new mother watching her every move, she couldn't do anything even if she wanted to.

"You guys are amazing," she says to Jenny when she brings in a tray with sandwiches and lemonade. "Thank you so much for doing this. It'll be good to be settled before the baby comes."

"I have to admit, I thought you were nuts for trying to find a house and move in the middle of your pregnancy, but it all worked out," Jenny smiles.

"Where's Riley today?" Beckett wonders.

"With my parents. She moves around so much these days. It would have been tough doing anything with her underfoot. But, she'll be here in her best party dress next week for the housewarming - slash - baby shower."

"Good," Beckett smiles. Ryan and Jenny's little girl is so cute and so funny. She's a hyper little ball of energy and a handful to babysit, but always a source of amusement. It's funny watching Castle with her. It makes Beckett anxious to see him with their own child.

It only takes a couple hours before they're all moved in. The men retreat to Castle's mancave while the woman get an official tour of the house.

"This is a great house, Kate," Simone says, staring in awe all around her. "You're a lucky woman."

The others agree enthusiastically.

"I love it," Beckett beams. "It really is my dream home. Not that I didn't love the penthouse. But it's for the best I got out of there."

"Any progress with Alexis?" Lanie asks her.

"Not much. And I don't expect any progress until Meredith leaves town. She's been here for almost two months. Aside from the first three years of Alexis' life, this is the longest she's stuck around. And I don't understand why."

"Probably to torture you," Jenny say, taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Speaking of unwanted visitors who outstay their welcome," Simone chimes in. "I know an old woman in Haiti, if you need any ... supernatural intervention."

"Wow, uh ... that's so nice of you," Beckett stammers, shooting Lanie a quick look of mock horror that makes her friend laugh. "But I think I'll just wait Meredith out. She'll eventually reveal her reason for being here and then we can get rid of her."

"Let's hope sooner, rather than later," Lanie says, pointing towards the glass window looking out the front of the house. The window doesn't yet have any curtains or coverings and they can look out onto the street and see approaching visitors. Unfortunately Meredith is one of those visitors.

"What does she want?" Beckett groans, lifting her mass off the couch and waddling towards the door.

Lanie goes with her. But not before whispering to Simone to go down and get Castle and the guys. This is Castle's problem. Beckett doesn't need to deal with it.

"Alexis. Meredith. What a surprise," Beckett says calmly, trying to seem cordial.

"Dad invited us to see the new house, so here we are," Alexis explains.

"Wrong," Castle says, suddenly appearing behind Beckett. "Alexis, you are always more than welcome. But I've told you a million times not to bring your mother here."

"Castle, it's okay," Beckett starts.

"No, it's not okay," he snaps, his angry gaze going to Meredith.

"Let's give them some privacy," Lanie suggests, going to grab her stuff to get ready to leave. She pulls Esposito's hand and they exit, followed by Ryan and Jenny.

"You sure you're okay, Kate?" Josh asks. "You need to stay calm."

"I'll be fine. Thank you," Kate says, giving both him and Simone hugs before they also depart.

"Are you going to let us in or what?" Meredith asks, trying to push her way inside.

"I don't think so." Castle manages to block her entrance.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Alexis practically screams at Beckett, causing her to jump back and cover her stomach with her hands as if to protect the baby from some vicious attack.

"Alexis, stop this!" Castle all but begs her. He pushes the two women away from the door and steps outside with them, closing the door behind him. This is not something Beckett should have to face or worry about.

She seems to agree. She thankfully stays inside.

"This isn't Kate's doing. This is all your mother," he says accusingly. "She came back here and tore our family apart. What do you want anyway, Meredith? What's it going to take to get you out of town?"

"As a matter of fact, that's what I'm trying to do," Meredith says. "An old ... _associate_ has followed me to New York. I do not wish to see him, but he's managed to find me at both my hotel and the penthouse."

"This guy dangerous?" Castle asks, instantly concerned for Alexis. "Why is he looking for you?"

"He thinks I owe him a little money," Meredith admits. Plus he wasn't happy when she dumped him and called off their money making scheme. She managed to pacify him with small amounts 'borrowed' from Alexis - unbeknownst to her, of course - but he's still looking for the big pay day.

"Money. Should have known," Castle grumbles, shaking his head. He's sure that's not the whole truth coming from Meredith. And he's sure she means way more than a 'little' money. He's going to have to check things out for himself to see what the true story is. But in the meantime, he needs Alexis to stay safe.

"I want you two to get out of town. Go to the Hamptons for a little while and I'll think about what I'm going to do about this situation."

He sighs, opening the door and ushering them inside.

"You two may as well come in," he says grudgingly. "We have to let Kate in on this and get it on the record."

Meredith glides over to a sofa, dramatically sinking onto it.

"Alexis, Sweetheart. Go find Mommy something to drink. I'm parched."

"I'll bring water," Beckett offers, eager to step away for a moment in order to mentally prepare for dealing with Meredith.

"Go with her and help," Castle orders Alexis. "She shouldn't be carrying that tray.

Alexis rolls her eyes, but follows Beckett into the kitchen.

"What would you like?" Beckett asks, glancing into the fridge. "We have some water, but we also have lemonade and some sodas."

"Dad's sending us away to the Hamptons," is all Alexis says. "He says it's to keep me safe from this guy stalking my mom. But I bet you're more than happy I'm going."

Beckett needs a minute to think of her answer. She grabs bottles of water from the shelf on the fridge, not feeling like going through all the hassle of glasses, ice, and lemonade.

"If it's going to keep you safe, then of course I'm glad you're going," she finally says. "Listen, I'm not sure what you think of me, Alexis, but I don't wish you ill. You're my baby's big sister. He or she is going to love you and look up to you. I can't think of a better role model."

"How are things …. with the baby?" Alexis cautiously asks. Despite how she feels about Kate, it doesn't stop her concern about the baby.

"We're fine," Beckett smiles, patting her stomach. "I have about 14 weeks left. Thanks for asking. How about you? How are things with you and your mom?"

"She likes to shop … a lot. Oh, I bought something for the baby," Alexis adds as she suddenly remembers. "I left it at home, though."

"That's okay," Beckett assures her. "You can bring it next time you come visit."

Alexis just nods. The two women stare at different spots on the floor as they run out of small talk.

"I meant what I said before," Beckett says quietly. "I want nothing more than for you to be … happy. I'm sorry that I never realized before that I would make you … unhappy. It didn't used to be that way between us. And I'd like nothing more for us to get back what we used to have. Maybe some time away will help clear your head. A lot has been going on with you these past few months. Maybe a change in scenery can help you … cope."

"I'm not crazy," Alexis says defensively.

"I was," Beckett admits. "After my shooting, I went a little bit crazy. At first I thought running to my dad's cabin and working it all out in my head would help me feel better and cope better. And I got well enough to come back. But just barely. The first time I had to draw my weapon on someone, my hand shook so badly and I nearly cried. If your father hadn't been there … well, I'm just grateful that he was there. I realized right then that I wasn't going to just magically get better on my own."

"What did you do?"

"Therapy. I had an amazing doctor who just listened. He helped me work through all the confusion, the nightmares, the paranoia. And not just involving my shooting. But we also worked through my issues with my mom's murder. And how I felt about your father." Beckett says that last part with a blush.

"It wasn't easy and it wasn't fun," Beckett adds. "It was a lot of hard work at times."

"But he fixed you."

"I fixed myself," Beckett corrects her. "Going to see Dr. Burke was like dumping out all the pieces of my life out of a puzzle box. He helped me fit all the pieces back together and then helped me realize that it was okay if the picture didn't look the same as it did before. Because like it or not, what happened to me changed me."

"I think I'm broken, Kate," Alexis whispers, her eyes watery.

"It feels like that at first," Beckett nods, reaching out to grab the girl's hand. She wants nothing more than to pull her into her arms, but it's too soon for that. Their truce, too tentative. "But you can fix yourself too, Alexis. Just like I did."

Alexis gives her a small watery smile and a nod. She grabs the bottles of water and escapes to the living room where her parents are.

Beckett leans against the counter with a heavy sigh. Then she prays with all her heart that this is the start of something better for her and Alexis. They both need it.


	11. Part 2 - Chapter 5

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 5

* * *

Despite her intentions, Alexis spends the next three weeks in the Hamptons giving serious thought and consideration to the issues Kate brought up. She doesn't want to think the woman can be right about anything. She doesn't want to even think about the woman. Because if she does, that still, small voice inside of her will tell her that she's been wrong about Kate for all these months.

"Going to the beach, Babe. You coming?"

She looks up from the book she's trying to read and into the eyes of her boyfriend, Zac. Through gnashed teeth, her father had allowed her boyfriend to accompany them to the Hamptons. In truth, he was slightly relieved for the male presence to watch over Alexis and Meredith. But he was mostly trying not to think of what his daughter and some college boy would be doing under the same roof. Alexis tried to tell him there was nothing to worry about. She liked Zac, but not that much. She just wasn't ready to go _there _with him. Not yet. Probably not ever. Her life was in turmoil when she met Zac. Now that she's trying to get it back on track, it may be taking her in a different direction as Zac. Yet another thing she'll have to think about.

"Not right now," she smiles. "I'm going to start getting ready for the party soon. You go ahead and have fun."

With a shrug, he turns and leaves. She almost feels bad for not paying quite as much attention to him as she usually does. But something tells her he's fine. He's in an amazing house on the beach with all the food he can eat and just about every gaming system known to man available to him. Zac has been more than entertained.

She wasn't really in the mood to go to the party either. But she promised by Zac and her mother they could all go together. It was an end of season type of get together with lots of food, live music, and even fireworks. She likes fireworks. Maybe they can cheer her up.

Several hours later, she wonders why her mother didn't start getting ready as early as she did. They've been waiting forever on her.

"Mom," she calls out to the woman. "We really need to get going. We're going to be late."

The party was at a house clear on the other side of the island. Most places were a quick walk up or down the beach. This place, they'd have to drive.

"Nonsense, Baby," Meredith croons, finally coming out of the room. "A party always waits on a beautiful woman."

"You look great, Mer," Zac says, eyes nearly bursting out of his head at the sight of Meredith's breasts bulging over the top of her dress.

Alexis levels her glare on her boyfriend.

"What? Well she does look great," he says to Alexis, rushing to open the door for Meredith when she finishes gathering her things.

"Let's just go," Alexis says, waiting on everyone to get out the house so she can lock the doors. She tosses the keys to Zac so he can drive them. Zac rushes to open the front door of the car and assists her mother inside, leaving Alexis to fend for herself while getting in the back.

Yeah. She's thinking she's going to be getting rid of a boyfriend soon.

She's relieved when they reach the party and Zac heads off to get drinks. Her mother goes with him so she can use her ID to get alcoholic beverages. She wanders out to the back deck to wait for them and to enjoy the view. Inside was full of people, but outside was a lot quieter. She lets out a sigh and leans her head back, enjoying the peace that floats over her.

"You're from next door," a male voice says to her from across the deck.

"Me? No, I had to drive here," she explains.

"Not next door to here." A smiling face appears from the darkness, walking closer to her. "Next to Vinnie Cardano's place. He's my stepdad."

He holds out his hand, smile still in place. Alexis can't help but smile back.

"Jamal Tucker," he says, introducing himself. "You're that writer's kid."

"Alexis," she says with a blush. "Alexis Castle. Nice to meet you."

"I read your dad's books. They're good. I like them."

"I like them too," she says, almost slapping herself for such a stupid thing to say. Of course she'd like her dad's books. But for some reason, this guy has her off her balance.

She manages to spot a cooler next to where Jamal was standing and crosses over to get a bottle of water. She takes a big sip, letting the cold liquid chill her fevered skin.

Despite her shyness, Jamal manages to draw a conversation out of her. They find they both have a lot in common and she finds herself wishing she had met him earlier in her stay. She's shocked when she looks down at her watch and discovers how late it's gotten. And that she's forgotten all about her mom and Zac.

"I should probably find the people I came with," she tells him, truly sorry to have to end the first good time she's had in a long time.

"Can I get your number, Alexis?" Jamal asks her.

She smiles and tells him. She reaches for her cell phone to get his when she realizes she doesn't have her cell phone.

"I must have left it in the car," she realizes. "I can go get it, though."

"I'll walk with you," he offers.

They get out to where all the cars are parked and Alexis frowns when she doesn't see the one her dad let them drive up. She turns around and walks to the other side of the makeshift lot, thinking maybe she was mistaken. No car.

"It's not here," she mutters to herself, starting to panic. "It must have been stolen."

"In the Hamptons? At a party where everyone, including the chief of police is? I don't think so," Jamal says.

"I don't know where else it could be."

"How about we go look for the people you came with," he suggests. "Maybe one of them took it or know where it is."

"Good idea," she nods, rushing back into the party.

After nearly an hour, and looking everywhere twice, she knows she's not going to find them. A bad feeling starts to fill her stomach.

"Can I borrow your phone?" she asks through clenched teeth.

He hands it over to her with no questions and watches as she dials a number. He wondered how long it was going to take her to come to the same conclusion he did when they found the car missing an hour ago.

"Mom? Where are you?" she practically has to scream into the phone.

"What do you mean Atlantic City? And with my boyfriend! Mom? Mom?"

Alexis stares blankly at the phone in her hand after she loses the connection with Meredith. She refuses to believe her mother hung up on her. Without a word, she gives Jamal his phone back and sits right where she's standing, too shocked to do anything else.

"Come on," Jamal says, gently lifting her back up to her feet. "Let me get you out of here."

He ushers her to his car and drives her back across the island to where they live.

"They have my keys," she mumbles, her voice blank and empty, when they turn into the driveway of her house. "They have my phone. They have my purse."

Jamal just nods and drives over to Vinnie Cardano's instead.

"Vinnie," he calls out, urging Alexis to sit on the comfortable couch while he goes to find the man. He finds him in the next room over, just sitting down with a drink and a ball game.

"Jamal," he says, smiling fondly at the young man. "You're home early. No fun at the party?"

"There's a situation," Jamal says, briefly explaining what happened.

Vinnie listens carefully and sends Jamal back out with Alexis. He grabs the phone and makes some calls.

x.x.x.x.x

Castle's plane had just touched down in Denver when his phone rings. He was zipping through the airport, trying to make his connection to LA, but stops to answer it anyway. It could be Beckett and he doesn't want to be unreachable to her. It was bad enough he had to make this trip out to LA to deal with the people making the Nikki Heat movie. He just wanted to get there, do his business, and get back to her as quickly as possible.

"Beckett, can't talk long," he says into the phone without looking at the caller ID.

"Mr. Castle. Vinnie Cardano."

That stops him in his tracks. He definitely wasn't expecting him to be on the other end of a call.

"Vinnie Cardano. What can I do for you?" Castle's heart begins to beat double time in his chest. Things between him and Vinnie "The Scar" Cardano didn't end well the last time they saw each other.

"I have your daughter."

"What? Vinnie, I swear, if you …."

"Whoa, whoa. Hold on. Before you say something you're going to regret, let me explain."

Castle has to bite his tongue, but he manages to keep any further accusations and threats from coming out his mouth.

"How can I get her back?" Castle asks, scared out of his mind for his daughter's safety.

"Just come get her," Vinnie says, as if it were completely obvious. "Her mother and boyfriend ran off together, leaving her stranded at a party across the island. My stepson was at the party, recognized her from next door, and offered to bring her home."

Castle lets out a sigh of relief that Alexis is okay before he's filled with anger when he fully processes what Vinnie has just said.

"Meredith did what?"

"Just come get her, Castle. She's pretty shaken up," Vinnie tells him.

"I'm in Denver right now, but I'll be on the first plane back to New York. Until then, I'll have my wife come get her."

"The beautiful lady with the to die for meat sauce? You lucky dog. She's a real prize, even if she is a cop."

"Vinnie, I don't know how to thank you," Castle says, realizing the awkward situation they're in. "I know we weren't on the best of terms …"

"Don't insult me further," Vinnie practically growls. "This isn't about us. This is your baby girl. My boy wasn't going to leave her stranded. And since she can't get into your house, I was more than happy to welcome her into mine."

"Well, I still thank you," Castle says graciously. "I owe you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Vinnie laughs, hearing Castle's nervous gulp, before hanging up the phone.


	12. Part 2 - Chapter 6

Make You Feel My Love

Part II - A Broken Truce

Chapter 6

* * *

"She's not coming," Alexis says sadly after a few hours. "I don't really blame her. I'm afraid I haven't been very nice to her."

Downright rude is more like it, but Alexis figures she's in enough of a bind. She doesn't need to admit to being a selfish brat on top of it all.

"You two don't get along?" Jamal asks.

"We used to," Alexis admits. "But not recently, no. I made the stupid mistake of letting my mother convince me of a lot of things that are obviously not true."

"Some mother," Vinnie snorts.

"Vinnie," Jamal says quickly, shaking his head.

"No, Jamal, he's right," Alexis says. "Kate has been more of a mother to me the past 5 years I've known her than my own mother. But I threw her aside when Meredith breezed into town and treated her horribly. She has to hate me now."

"She'll be here," Vinnie assures her. "She's your _true_ mother. Maybe not your mother by blood, but blood isn't always what matters."

He looks over at Jamal, the child of his heart, with the same expression of love that she's tried to ignore from Beckett these past few months. More and more she's regretting the way her life has spun so far out of control, especially in regards to Kate.

"Lord knows the mother that gave birth to you is …. lacking," Vinnie snarls. He wants to say something even worse about Meredith, but doesn't. He's tempted to help Castle out and put an end to the fickle creature for what she did to this poor girl.

"She's a stand up lady and a stand up cop. I met her when she was up here with your dad. When that dead body turned up, I, of course, was one of the first they looked at. I was angry about that at first. But the thing is, I wasn't the last one they looked at. They were just as willing to look at other people for the murder and eventually found the guilty party. I admire that. They actually treated me like a normal person instead of some criminal."

"That sounds like something she'd do," Alexis nods, realizing from a perfect stranger the kind of person Kate Beckett really is. She can't believe she ever let go of that knowledge. She can't believe how she's behaved.

"Speaking of your stepmom," Jamal says, looking out the window. "I think that maybe her coming up the driveway."

Relief, mixed with disbelief, fills Alexis. She stands and waits for Beckett to come inside.

"Detective Beckett! Lovely to see you again," Vinnie says cordially.

"Where is she?" Beckett says, pushing past him to get inside. She lets out a relieved breath when she sees Alexis with her own eyes. "Are you okay?"

Alexis' eyes begin to fill and before either of them realize what's happening, Alexis runs into Beckett's arms, hugging her tightly.

"You came," she says over and over again as the tears run down her face.

"Of course I did," Beckett says, trying to calm the girl by rubbing her back soothingly. "I'll always come for you, Alexis."

"I didn't think you …"

"Shhh!" Beckett orders her gently. "Don't worry about any of that right now. Let's just get you home."

Home sounds good to Alexis. She nods and eagerly follows Beckett out. At this point, she'd follow the woman anywhere she leads.

x.x.x.x.x

It's very late when they get back to Castle and Beckett's new house. Alexis ended up driving most of the way because she knew Beckett had to be tired. She still can't believe the woman, despite her advanced pregnancy, driving up to the Hamptons to rescue her.

"Kate," she nudges her when they pull into the driveway. "You're home."

Beckett yawns and stretches, sleepily blinking her eyes open.

"Come on in," she says with another yawn. They climb out the car and go inside the house. "It's late. You can stay in your room tonight."

"My room? I have a room here?" Alexis stares at her in awe.

"It's more like a guest house," Beckett explains. "But it's all yours. It's separate from the house so you can have your own entrance and some privacy. Just go down that little path off the pool."

"It's mine?" Alexis asks again, unable to comprehend why they'd do this for her.

"It's nothing fancy yet. It is furnished, but only minimally decorated. We figured you'd want to put your own stamp on the place." Beckett reaches into a drawer and pulls out a set of keys for Alexis.

"I don't know what to say," Alexis says, tears threatening again. "This is ... you are ..."

When words fail her, Alexis just wraps her arms around Beckett again.

"Thank you," she manages to whisper.

"You're welcome," Beckett says. You are _always_ welcome."

Alexis knows she still has plenty to deal with. Her problems aren't going away on their own. But she finally feels ready to face them. She finally feels like she'll _be able_ to face them. Because she's not alone. She knows now that Kate Beckett will always come for her and will always welcome her. She just wants to be worthy.

She sees now that while she's always had a mother, she's never had a mother's love ... until now. That gift has been hers for the taking the minute she met Kate Beckett. She just wasn't ready to receive it ... until now. Now, she's ready to grab onto it with both hands. And nothing, absolutely nothing, is going to take it away.

* * *

End Part II ... To be concluded tomorrow!


	13. Part 3 - Chapter 1

Title: Make You Feel My Love - Part 3

Author: NickyM96

Rating: K+

Summary: Alexis is finally getting the help she needs. But what happens when she's faced with her worst nightmare?

* * *

Make You Feel My Love

Part III – Choosing Sides

Chapter 1

* * *

Alexis takes a look in the mirror, wondering if there's a noticeable difference in her appearance. She certainly feels different. This past month has brought about so many changes. She feels like a completely new person since she started therapy. Sometimes she's not sure if that's a good thing or not. Some things change for the better, but sometimes not.

One thing that has changed for the better is Meredith's presence in her life. Or, lack thereof, Alexis should say. For the first time ever, there's no secret longing in her heart for her mother to be a bigger part of her life. She thinks the last betrayal was enough to make her see the truth about Meredith. The woman might have given birth to her, but her only interest in Alexis revolved around what she could get from the girl. Using her for attention from a man or money seemed to be the top motivating factors in Meredith's interests in her daughter.

That stay in the Hamptons was a real eye opener. Running off with her boyfriend was one thing. Alexis was pretty sure she was going to dump him anyway, so that wasn't a big loss. But Meredith left Alexis stranded and at the mercy of strangers when she left that party with Alexis' boyfriend. She left Alexis with nothing. No purse. No phone. No money. No car. No house keys. And she did it without a second thought or any remorse. She honestly had no idea why Alexis was so upset. She actually thought she was doing Alexis a favor by showing her what a faithless man whore she was dating.

To top it all off, it turns out Meredith had been slowly siphoning money from her account the whole time she was with Alexis. She had come to town to get money from Castle and had to find an alternate solution when he refused her. That alternate solution was helping herself to Alexis' checking account. Her father gives her a generous allowance, most of which she doesn't normally touch. After a couple of months, it begins to add up. Meredith cleaned her out. Kate gave her the choice of letting it go or reporting it and pressing charges. Still feeling she owed her mother something, Alexis decided to let it go. She'd wasted enough time and heartache on her mother. It was time to let her go.

The only good things to come out of that fiasco were her relationships with Jamal and Kate. Jamal has turned out to be a good friend. Really patient with her and her need to get her head screwed on straight before being able to move into anything serious. Kate has been amazing. Beyond amazing. She's starting to remember what she liked so much about the woman in the first place.

Therapy has helped with that more than even she thought it would. It's helped her accept the changes she's gone through over the past year. Starting college. Getting kidnapped. Her dad remarrying. A sibling on the way. Her mother's betrayal. Even meeting and getting closer to Jamal. So many changes, but they haven't changed her on the outside. Her reflection remains unchanged. She decides it's reassuring. It shows she's a survivor. That she can get through anything and still be pretty much the same person. Just enhanced. Kind of like a cook adding spices to a meal. She smiles and makes a note to share that with Kate. Her stepmother would get a kick of it.

It's nice having someone understand what she's going through the way Kate does. And again, she can only thank her lucky stars the woman didn't give up on her. After all Alexis put her through, it would be understandable for Kate Beckett to have just washed her hands of her spoiled stepdaughter. But Kate kept pushing, giving her time and space as needed and then just simply being there when Alexis needed her the most. For that, she has Alexis' eternal gratitude. She helped save Alexis' life and her sanity. For that, she has Alexis' eternal love and loyalty. She finally understands what Vinnie Cardano had told her when she was in the Hamptons. Kate Beckett may not be her mother by blood, but the woman is the best mother she's ever had.

Speaking of Beckett, Alexis looks at the time and realizes she has to go. They're meeting for lunch and she's running late.

x.x.x.x.x

A knock at the door has Meredith hoping against hope that it's Alexis coming to see her. She tried seeing her daughter after that ill advised trip to Atlantic City, but she refused to see her. And when she finally was able get a face to face with Alexis, things didn't turn out as she'd planned. Despite Meredith's apologies for proving how much of a cheating jerk her boyfriend was, Alexis was rigid and unyielding and very unforgiving. That was the last she spoke to her. She'll give it a few more weeks, or months, to let it all blow over. She's sure Alexis will forgive her eventually. Surely Alexis can't stay mad at her own mother forever. And if that's her at the door, maybe things will work out sooner rather than later.

"Alexis," she says excitedly, pulling open the door. Only to be sorely disappointed when it's not her daughter standing outside. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here, Henri?"

"You didn't think you'd get away from me that easily," Henri says, easily pushing his way into the hotel room.

Truth be told, Meredith misses the attention. And the sex. She didn't love the man and realizes now that a marriage between them would have never worked, no matter how much money she was able to get out of Richard beforehand. But he has a dangerous flair to him that made her heart race from time to time. Seeing him now makes her realize how much she missed that.

"Just keeping you on your toes, Dear Henri," she flirts. "I thought men like you loved hard to get girls."

"Men like me, my dear, love the money we can get from girls like you," he snarls nastily, pushing her off of him when she tries to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Henri," she gasps. "That's just rude. You're going to make me think you never cared."

"You really are a stupid one," he grunts, pouring himself a drink from the bar. "What happened to the money you were supposed to be getting from your ex-husband, the rich writer?"

"I sent you money, Henri," she reminds him. "And I told you we were done. I couldn't get the money from Richard."

He slowly finishes his drink then stalks back over to her. He wraps a hand around her neck, not quite squeezing but closing it enough to scare her a bit.

"And I told you that wasn't good enough. Didn't I warn you we'd do things my way if your way didn't work?" Henri threatens.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She steps away from him, lifting her own hand up to her neck, still feeling the menacing heat from his hand there.

"Don't worry about that," he chuckles and evil cackle that makes her skin crawl. "All you have to do is make a phone call."

He hands her a generic cell phone and she takes it with her shaky hand, realizing she's gotten far too deep with this man. Unfortunately, there isn't anything she can do but go along with him and hope no one gets hurt.

x.x.x.x.x

Beckett's phone rings on her way out to meet Alexis. She'd probably be early but she didn't want to risk being late. With her stomach growing larger and larger, it was better to err on the side of caution. Sometimes, even the simplest of tasks took her longer. A walk to the park in her condition takes longer than it used to. So she wanted to make sure she left with plenty of time.

"Hello," she answers, picking up the phone and checking the time to make sure this doesn't delay her. It only takes a second for her to wish she had left it unanswered.

"Kate, it's Meredith."

Beckett wants to snarl at the nerve of the other woman to be calling as if they're the best of friends, acting as if she did nothing wrong.

"Meredith. What can I do for you?" she asks cautiously. "If this has something to do with Alexis, then …"

"No, not this time. I mean, not directly. I know she doesn't want to see me," Meredith sighs. "It's you I want to talk to. Can you meet me?"

"Meredith …"

"Please, Kate," Meredith interrupts her. "Give me a chance to make things right with my daughter. I just need a few minutes of your time."

Beckett sighs and checks out her watch again, considering the time.

"A few minutes is all I have. I have another appointment," is all she says, not wanting to let Meredith know that Alexis will be close by at a diner down the street. "Meet me at the park in a half hour."

Beckett hangs up the phone, wondering if she's doing the right thing or if this is a mistake she's going to live to regret.

"Castle," she calls out to her husband. "I'm going now."

He comes out of the nursery, paint staining his hands.

"So early? I thought you were meeting Alexis in about an hour."

"Well, it takes me a bit longer to do things these days," she smiles, pointing at her large belly. "Besides, Meredith just called. She wants to talk for a few minutes before I meet Alexis."

He frowns, not hiding the fact that he doesn't like this change of plans.

"What does she want?" He asks, suddenly suspicious of his ex-wife's motives. "You really think meeting her alone is a good idea? How about I go with you. You shouldn't be out by yourself anyway, this close to your due date."

"Relax, Castle. I still have 6 weeks before the baby comes. And besides, I'm meeting Meredith in a park. What is she going to do to me out in public?"

"I wouldn't underestimate her. You sure you don't want me to come along?"

"And let you get out of painting the nursery? I don't think so, Pal," she laughs when she catches on to his game. "Ryan, Josh, and Esposito are here. You can't leave them to do all the work. And if you put this off one more week, we'll never have the nursery ready in time."

She leans over and kisses him, smiling when he bends down to kiss the baby next.

"I love you," he whispers, giving her one more kiss.

"I love you, too. See you soon," she says before walking out the door.

x.x.x.x.x

Meredith silently gives the cell back to Henri. She can't even look him in the eyes.

"There. That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"You're not going to hurt her, are you?" Meredith isn't sure where that thought came from. She certainly has no love lost for Kate Beckett. But that didn't mean she wanted anything bad to happen to the woman.

"All I want is the money," Henri growls. "Once I get that, I don't care what happens to her."

Not exactly reassuring, but Meredith supposes that's as good as she's going to get. She almost feels sorry for Kate Beckett. But, better her than Meredith or Alexis. Hopefully after this, Henri will be out of her life and she can move on. Something tells her getting out of the city sooner rather than later would be wise.


	14. Part 3 - Chapter 2

Make You Feel My Love

Part III – Choosing Sides

Chapter 2

* * *

The text comes from Kate just when Alexis finds a seat at the diner. It was just a quick note that she had a brief meeting with Meredith for a few minutes before their lunch. Alexis is grateful to be spared having to see Meredith. But at the same time, she realizes that she can't keep running from the woman the rest of her life. Alexis knows that Kate would gladly stand between her and Meredith for as long as Alexis wants. But Alexis is a grown woman. And Meredith is her problem. It's time she stopped standing behind Kate and deal with her mother herself.

Alexis waves off the waitress, letting her know she won't be needing the table after all. She leaves a small tip for the woman's trouble and heads down the block to the park where Kate is supposed to be meeting Meredith. By the time she gets there, she sees that Kate has already arrived, but there was no sign of Meredith. Typical. Meredith seems to take pride in being late. Yet another example of how she respects no one other than herself.

Alexis is at the corner, waiting on the light to change when it happens. Faster than she can blink, two men come up behind Beckett and grab her. Alexis tries to scream, reaching for her phone at the same time to call for help. She starts off across the street, ignoring the blaring car horns and almost reaches the van they've shoved Kate into when she feels a hand on her arm.

"You should have minded your own business," a male voice says, the french accent making her skin crawl. She only has a moment to be terrified by the similarities to her previous kidnapping before she's thankfully rendered unconscious.

x.x.x.x.x

After what seems like the tenth time Castle looks at his watch, Esposito finally asks what's up.

"Castle, are we holding you up for something else you gotta do today?"

"What?" Castle asks, confused by the questions. "What do you mean?"

"Dude, you act like she's been gone all day. it's just been a couple of hours," Esposito laughs. "She'll be home soon. You are so whipped."

"Am not," Castle says.

"Are too," Ryan adds. "You've got it bad. Much worse than me and Jenny on our most annoying Honey Milk days."

"So I love my wife. Sue me," Castle laughs nervously. But he takes another peek at his watch. "You guys, maybe I should go pick her up. What if she went into labor?"

"Then she'd be at the hospital by now and they would have called you," Josh points out. "Castle, you have to relax. You're going to drive her nuts these next 6 weeks if you hover."

"Fine, fine," Castle relents. "You're all right. I'm sure she's fine. Now let's finish painting or NONE of us will be fine when she gets home."

The men go back to their duties, but Castle stays on edge. Call him whipped, call him paranoid. Whatever. He won't relax until she's coming through those doors.

x.x.x.x.x

"Alexis …. Alexis …. wake up, Sweetie. I need for you to get up now."

Alexis moans and tries to rub at her face. Her hands feel rubbery and she can't really control them and she ends up smacking herself in the nose.

"Ouch," she moans, slowly blinking her eyes open. The weird taste in the back of her throat lets her know she's been drugged.

"Take it easy," Beckett says, stroking the girl's hair out of her face. "They must have given you something because you've been unconscious for a while and I didn't see a bump on your head. Thankfully they didn't hit you."

"Are you okay? Did they drug you too?" Alexis tries to sit up. She manages to rise with help from Beckett.

"No, they fortunately didn't give me anything. I would have been worried about how it affected the baby."

"What happened, Kate? I thought you were meeting my mom."

"I thought so, too. But when I got to the park, I got grabbed," Beckett explains, walking around the little room they're locked in to see if there's any way of escape.

"I saw it all happen," Alexis tells her. "I tried to call for help and run to you, but someone grabbed me too. Then I woke up here."

Alexis starts walking around too, not really sure she knows what she's looking for. But she can't do nothing. The last time, she had to be the brave one because Sara was so terrified by the kidnapping. She was scared too, but it wouldn't have done them any good for both of them to be freaking out. This time, her fears start to take over. Maybe because Kate is there and she trust Kate to take care of them. But whatever the reason, she can't stop the tears from falling.

"Hey," Beckett says to her, coming up to her and putting her arms around her. "We're going to be just fine. If I had to guess, this is for ransom. Somebody knows your father has a lot of money and would pay dearly to get us back. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken you too. They wouldn't have even known to take you."

"You think that somebody is my mother, don't you?" Alexis asks point blank. She just nods when Beckett doesn't answer. "It's okay. She's been desperate for Dad to give her money this whole time she's been in town. She even got so desperate as to steal all of mine. This is a the next logical step."

"Nothing logical about this, Alexis," Beckett says. "This isn't what mothers do."

"But it's what Meredith does," Alexis says sadly, sitting back down on her cot. "I'm so sorry she dragged you into this."

"No, Baby. I'm sorry," Beckett says, sitting next to her. "I'm sorry you're going through this again. Are you okay?"

"You're here," Alexis says with a small smile. "I'll be okay with you here with me."

"We'll get through this together," Beckett promises her.

And afterwards, Meredith won't ever be able to cause this kind of problem again. That's a promise Beckett makes to herself. Enough is enough. Time to take care of that woman once and for all.

x.x.x.x.x

"We're about done here, right?" Castle asks, his phone and keys in hand. "She's been gone much longer than she should. I'm going to swing by the deli and see if she needs a ride."

"You tried calling?" Ryan asks.

"No answer," Castle sighs, looking at the phone. "You guys, I'm officially worried. There's never a time I can't get in touch with her or Alexis. But neither one are answering."

"That is weird," Esposito agrees. He pulls his own phone out. "How about I get some uniforms on it? They can be on the look out for them."

"This isn't good," Castle says, running his hands nervously through his hair. "Josh, can you make sure neither of them has been taken to the hospital?"

"You that worried?"

"Yeah, I am," Castle nods.

"I'm on it," Josh tells him, pulling his own phone out.

All the men stop what they're doing when Castle's phone starts to ring. For some reason, they all can tell it's bad news.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Castle." The computer generated voice kills any hope that Beckett is okay. "I have your wife and daughter. If you want to see either of them alive again, you do exactly what I say."

Tears fill Castle's eyes and he looks to his friends.

"They've been taken," he says hoarsely. "Someone took Kate and Alexis."


	15. Part 3 - Chapter 3

Make You Feel My Love

Part III – Choosing Sides

Chapter 3

* * *

The room is a blur of activity. Castle just sits, staring out the window, trying to ignore it all. He remembers all too well what's going on in the background. In the far too recent past, he had to deal with much the same thing when Alexis was kidnapped. Now, she's kidnapped again. Along with Beckett. And his unborn child. Everyone that means anything to him … gone. He can only be grateful his mother is out of town. The people making the Nikki Heat movie realized she was perfect to play Rook's mother and offered her the job. She's been filming last minute additions to the movie for the past couple weeks. Had she been home, he fears the same fate would have befallen her.

"Castle, I sent a uniform to pick up Meredith and bring her here," Ryan explains. "Do you want us to tell her about Alexis?"

"I'll do it," Castle says, his voice sounding thick and distant to his own ears.

"What about the ransom? Are you able to get it?"

"My accountants are working on it now. And whatever I can't get immediately, Gina assures me that she and Black Pawn will help. She cares about Alexis too." Castle rubs his hands across his face, clearly not wanting to talk. But Ryan doesn't leave him alone.

"Listen, Buddy, I'm sorry to ask you all these questions," Ryan says apologetically. "But you know we need to know these things. Tell me about the amount. Why $4 million?"

"$2 million for Alexis, like last time. $2 million for Kate. Ryan, can we ..."

"So how do they know what the ransom was for Alexis last time?" Ryan asks, his detective senses starting to tingle. "All that went down in Paris. Who here could know that?"

For the first time since hearing from the kidnappers, Castle perks up. His eyes lose the glassiness and start to sharpen. His own senses are starting to tingle.

"Richard, what is going on?" Meredith's screeching voice disrupts his train of thought. "Tell this barbarian to unhand me this instant. He's acting like I'm some sort of criminal!"

"Bring her over," Ryan orders the officer, who escorts Meredith inside the house and across to where Castle and Ryan are.

"You had a meeting with Detective Beckett this afternoon. Tell me when and where and how long it lasted. And if you can remember, tell me where she went after," Ryan says, trying to get useful information out of the woman before her inevitable breakdown from hearing her daughter is kidnapped.

"Why? What's this all about?" she asks, her heart racing. Henri really did it. And now, she has to hold it together so the plan doesn't fall apart.

"Just answer the questions, Meredith," Castle snaps at her.

"Did she run away or something?" Meredith scoffs. "Did you lose your wife? I always warned you she had one foot out the door."

"You were supposed to be meeting her a couple hours ago," Castle reminds her.

"I was late," Meredith shrugs. "You know how I am, Richard. By the time I got there, she was already gone. Why are you asking me this?"

"Someone took her," he says. "Someone took both her and Alexis and we're trying to get them back. Do you think you can be helpful?"

"What?" she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. She looks genuinely panic stricken and Castle almost wishes he had softened the news. "They took Alexis? But …. oh my God."

She walks away and collapses into a chair. Castle goes to the bar to get her a drink.

"This can't be happening," she starts to mutter, her eyes closing as tears start to fill her eyes. This was _not _part of the plan. What is Henri doing? "Not Alexis. Not this. Not again. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was just supposed to be Kate."

She doesn't even seem to be aware she's speaking out loud. But Castle hears. He stops what he's doing, putting the glass down on the bar. He slowly and deliberately steps from behind the bar and walks towards Meredith, kneeling down in front of her. Both fire and ice surge through his body.

"What did you just say?" he asks, his voice hard and full of disbelief as he tries to convince himself she didn't just say what he thinks she did.

Her eyes fly wide open at the sight of him right in front of her. She thought he was across the room.

"What … did … you … say," he repeats, spreading out each word to make sure she hears him.

"Nothing, Richard," she says, trying to brush him off. "I just can't believe this is happening to our baby again."

"No. You said that it was just supposed to be Kate," he reminds her. "How do you know that, Meredith? What did you do?"

"Nothing," Meredith insists. By the look in her eyes, he can tell she's lying. And the look in his eyes fill her with sudden fear.

Before anyone knows what's happening, Castle has his hands around her throat. And unlike her earlier encounter with Henri, he squeezes tight, blocking her airway. A small squeak is the only warning Ryan and Esposito has of what their friend is doing

"Castle!" they yell, rushing over to pull him away from Meredith. It's takes the two of them plus another officer to pry him off. "Stop this, man. What are you doing?"

"She's a part of this," he points his finger accusingly at Meredith. He struggles against the men holding him and tries to get to her again. "She knows something."

"He's insane! He almost killed me," she says, her voice barely a whisper after having her throat squeezed so hard. "Keep him away from me."

"She knows what happened to Beckett and Alexis," he insists. "Make her tell what she knows. Where are they Meredith?"

"You want them back? Just pay the ransom," Meredith cries. "Don't let him kill my little girl."

"Who, Meredith," Ryan asks gently. "Who has her?"

Meredith looks around the room at all the cops. She knows none of them are her friend. She has to protect herself or this could turn out very badly for her.

"I want my lawyer," she finally says. "I'm not saying a word without my attorney present."

Ryan motions for some uniformed officers to come over.

"Take her into the station and put her on ice. Let her call her lawyer. We'll be in to talk to her soon."

The officers comply, quickly getting Meredith out of the house before Castle changes his mind and attacks her again.

"That's how the kidnapper knew about the $2 million ransom from last time," Castle realizes. "Meredith told him. She's a part of this. She's been here this whole time asking for money and I've been refusing her. Her alimony is substantial. But she wanted more. She always wants more. I just never realized how far she'd go to get it."

Ryan and Esposito look at each other, not sure they want to leave Castle alone in this condition. The man is downright despondent.

"I'll stay with him," Josh offers, reading the concern from the other men. "I'll make sure he's not alone."

"Okay," Ryan nods, agreeing with the arrangement. "We'll call when Meredith tells us what she knows."

"Don't worry, Bro. We'll make her talk," Esposito adds.

Castle isn't worried. He's livid. If Ryan and Esposito can't make her talk, then he'll find a way to get the information out of her. He'll do whatever it takes.


	16. Part 3 - Chapter 4

Make You Feel My Love

Part III – Choosing Sides

Chapter 4

* * *

"I know we were just guessing before, but do you really think my mom did this?"

Beckett sighs, not really wanting to tell Alexis the truth, but not sure how she can keep her suspicions a secret. The girl seems to be grasping at straws to try to see some small shred of good in Meredith. No matter what she sees, she doesn't want to believe what she knows is true.

"I can't be sure, but I suspect she has something to do with it. She never showed up for our meeting and when I looked down at my phone to see if I had missed a call or text from her, I was ambushed."

"I saw them take you," Alexis says quietly. "I couldn't do anything to help you. I was about to call for help when I got grabbed too."

"I'm sorry about that, Kiddo," Beckett says. She stands up to stretch her back. It's starting to get a little stiff. The room was more than large enough for the both of them. It was more like a finished basement, much like Castle's man cave. Thoughts of her husband almost make her smile. Then she realizes how terrified he must be. He still had nightmares about the time Alexis was kidnapped. This has to be worse.

"I hope your father is okay." Beckett silently wipes away a tear that manages to escape. "He has to be freaking out by now. I promised him I would be fine on my own. He wanted to drive me, but I wouldn't' let him. If I had …."

"Kate, this isn't your fault. This isn't either of our fault. If you're right, my mother is behind this. She won't let these guys hurt us … right?"

"I'm sure you're right," Beckett says, forcing a smile. She lets out a little groan when the baby gives a particularly strong kick.

"You alright?" Alexis asks, instantly concerned.

"Just your little brother or sister practicing for the World Cup." Beckett rubs at her stomach some more, slowly lowering herself onto the bed. She puts a pillow behind her back and sits against the headboard. "He'll settle down in a bit."

"He? You know the sex?"

"Just a feeling," Beckett smiles. "Don't tell your father, though. He's convinced it's a girl."

Beckett sits back, closes her eyes and starts to hum a tune. Recognizing the song, Alexis adds the words. Beckett just smiles and starts singing with her.

_When the rain is blowing in your face_

_And the whole world is on your case_

_I could offer you a warm embrace_

_To make you feel my love_

"You have a beautiful voice," Alexis says dreamily when they finish the verse. "Makes me wish you had been my mother growing up so that you could sing to me too."

"I'll sing to you now." Beckett holds out her hand and Alexis eagerly takes it. She settles on the bed next to Beckett and lays her head in her lap.

_I know you haven't made your mind up yet_

_But I would never do you wrong_

_I've know it from the moment that we met_

_No doubt in my mind where you belong_

_I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue_

_I'd go crawling down the avenue_

_No there's nothing that I wouldn't do_

_To make you feel my love_

Beckett gently strokes Alexis' hair as she sings to her. She can tell when the girl drifts off to sleep, which is good. Right now, there's nothing either of them can do but try to remain patient and hope someone comes for them. Sooner rather than later, Beckett thinks as she winces again. She's afraid this is more than the baby just kicking. She's in labor again.

x.x.x.x.x

"My client is ready now."

Esposito scowls at Meredith and her attorney as he and Ryan enter the interrogation room. They wasted valuable time trying to put together some sort of deal for Meredith. She refused to tell them anything without a guarantee that nothing she said would be used against her. Everyone finally came to an agreement and it's less than satisfying to Esposito that he won't personally get to toss the Deep Fried Twinkie into a cell for her part in this. Beckett and Alexis are missing and they're wasting his time. He doesn't hide his anger.

"Speak," he orders, leveling his gaze on Meredith. "Who are you working with and where have they taken my partner?"

"It wasn't like that," Meredith tries to explain, jumping from fright when she hears what sounds like a growl coming from Esposito. "I swear. Henri and I just planned on asking Richard for money. But I came. I asked. Richard refused me. Henri didn't want to take no for an answer."

"So you're saying this kidnapping plot was his idea? You didn't know anything about it?" Ryan asks.

"What does this have to do with anything?" the lawyer interrupts. "My client agreed to tell you what she knows that can lead to finding her daughter's kidnapper. She's not here to implicate herself in any way."

"Fine," Esposito mutters through clenched teeth. "Tell us what you know."

"Well, as you know, Richard sent Alexis and I out of town about two months ago because of Henri. I had ended things with him and he started to scare me. Alexis and I left town to get away from him. But he managed to track me down today. He made me call Kate to the park. That's all I know."

They seriously doubt that's all she knows, but they can tell that's all she's going to tell them. At least they have a name and after a few more questions, they get more background on this Henri character.

"Are we done here?" the lawyer asks. "I'd like to take my client to the hospital to address the wounds around her neck. We will be pressing charges against Richard Castle for assault. Maybe even attempted murder.. I'll expect testimony from both of you detectives since you were present for the incident."

"Incident? What incident?" Esposito asks, feigning ignorance. "Ryan, do you remember an incident?"

"No, I don't recall," Ryan says slowly, a confused look on his face. "Oh, wait. They must be talking about when Castle _stumbled _and accidentally used Meredith to balance himself. That's the only incident I remember."

"What! Richard tried to kill me! He won't get away with that," Meredith sniffs indignantly. "I'm going to the hospital now."

They let her go, but not without a contingent of armed officers. Not for her protection, but to prevent her escape. As far as they're concerned, despite whatever deal her lawyer got for her, she's still a person of interest and as such, they're allowed to hold her in police custody for another 24 hours.

"Was that Meredith I saw leaving here?" an angry Castle asks when he comes up to them, a concerned Josh following behind him. "How could you let her go?"

"Remember, stay calm," Josh warns him. "You keep this up, I'm going to have to drug you."

"Josh is right. You need to calm down. Trust me, she won't go far," Ryan assures him. "She cut a deal to avoid prosecution based on what she told us. But once we find this guy, we'll get him to flip on her and take her down that way."

They get to work trying to find everything they can about the mysterious Henri. They just hope they can find him soon and that by finding him, they'll find Beckett and Alexis.

x.x.x.x.x

"Alexis, I want you to do something for me," Beckett says a couple hours later. The contractions have gotten worse and she doesn't think she can hide them from Alexis much longer. "Promise me you'll run when you get the chance."

"What do you mean?" Alexis asks warily. "You want me to leave you here alone?"

"I need some help," Beckett admits. "The baby … well, he's coming."

"What? Now?"

"I probably have a few more hours, but yeah, soon. My water broke a little while ago."

"But it's too soon."

"I know," Beckett nods sadly. "About 6 weeks too early. But he's coming."

Alexis grabs Beckett's hand, squeezing it to let her know she's there with her. Despite her panic, she has to stay strong for Kate's sake. And the baby's.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to scream for the guards or whoever is here with us. When they come in, let them know I'm in labor and need help. Maybe they'll have a heart and let us go, but I doubt it. But once they get in here, we need to figure out how many of them there are. There's gotta be at least three of them. Two took me and one took you. Add you mom into the mix and that's four. I don't think they'd have too many other people involved. Too many ways to split the money."

"Did my mom really do this for money, Kate?" Alexis asks, shaking her head sadly. "What is wrong with her?"

"If I had to guess, she doesn't realize they took you. I don't think she would have gone along with that," Beckett tries to reassure her. "And since you're still in here, then she obviously isn't the mastermind behind this plan or else she would have had the power to at least have you released."

"I know you don't really believe that, but thanks for trying to make me feel better anyway," Alexis sighs. "Okay, so tell me the rest of our plan."

Beckett outlines the rest of it for her and the two of them spend about half hour getting ready. A strong contraction lets them know they've run out of time. It's now or never.

Alexis looks at Beckett and at her nod, starts screaming at the top of her lungs and banging on the door. It takes a few minutes before the door cautiously opens.

"You've got to help," Alexis says to the man standing there. She sees another one at safe distance with a gun. She tries to look as non-threatening as possible. "She's in labor. Her baby is coming now!"

Beckett gives a loud groan for good measure. Alexis wonders how much of it is real and how much is feigned. Getting out of here for help is the most important thing right now. They may be play acting a bit right now, but the baby really is on the way.

"My water broke and I think I need to push," Beckett cries, overexaggerating just a bit. It seems to do the trick. One look into the blood tinged pool around her feet has one of the kidnappers passing out cold.

"Lawton, what are you doing?" the guy with the gun calls out, nudging his downed co-conspirator with his foot. "Get up, you coward."

"Go get someone else," Alexis screams. "We need to get her out of here or you need to deliver this baby."

"It's just the four of us here, Little Girl," the armed man says. "Not that this moron is any help."

He looks down in disgust at his partner. Too late he realizes his mistake. Alexis swings the pipe they managed to loosen early and hits him on the back of the head. He goes down like a tree.

"Nice," Beckett says, smiling with pride. "Now let's get out of here before these two wake up. Bend down and grab his gun for me, Honey."

Alexis gets the gun and gives it to Kate. They step over the bodies of the two men and run out the door of their prison, locking it behind them. The kidnappers were nice enough to have left the keys in the lock. Not the smartest, these two.

"Come on, Kate," Alexis calls. She turns around to see Beckett leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

"I need a few minutes," she groans, the pain starting to overtake her. "God! Remind me to kill your father. I'm never letting him near me again."

"That may not be an option," Alexis grins, staring out the front door that leads to their freedom. "Look."

She runs out the door and straight into her father's arms.

"Alexis! Baby, are you okay?" Castle doesn't know whether to hug her or check her over for injuries.

"I'm fine, but Kate needs help. She's still inside," Alexis reports, pulling away from Castle and running back to where she left her stepmother.

Ryan, Esposito, and Josh follow them. A fleet of police cars pull up then and officers pour inside the building.

"The two guys who were here with us are locked down in the basement," Alexis tells them.

The officers rush past to grab the kidnappers and to also verify no one else is in the building.

"How did you find us?" Beckett asks, breathing heavily, but reaching for Castle all the same. He pulls her into his arms and just holds on to her.

"Meredith knew the guy who did this," Ryan explains. "We picked him up, but he wasn't talking. But at that point, it was simply a matter of running a trace on all his accounts and credit cards. He tried to hide the rental of this place under Meredith's name, but we fortunately ran her financials as well and caught on. They're both in custody."

"Good," Beckett says, her face a mask of pain. "Now could someone kindly get this baby out of me before he crawls out on his own?"

"You're in labor?" Castle asks.

"You think?" she snaps. Then she screams.

"That doesn't sound good," Castle says, the panic rising in his voice. He turns to Josh. "That can't be good."

"She's fine," Josh assures him, leading Beckett to the front entrance. "Help me get her to the ambulance. It's pulling up now."

"Just breathe, Honey," Castle says, because he just can't think of anything else to say to her right now. Her glare stops him from doing that. He opts to just remain silent.

Thankfully, the paramedics bring the gurney to her, so she doesn't have to walk the rest of the way. A sense of relief fills her when she sees the doors of the ambulance close behind her and they speed on their way. She's safe and she's back with the man she loves. She reaches out and grabs Castle's hand, a silent apology for her less than cordial reunion with him.

"I love you," she whispers, gazing lovingly into his eyes. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"No, Sweetheart," he says, placing a kiss on her lips. "You rescued yourself. You're my warrior princess and I love you too. More than anything."

They kiss again, ignoring whatever Josh is doing below to check on the situation with the baby.

"Now let's go have ourselves a baby."


	17. Part 3 - Chapter 5

Make You Feel My Love

Part III – Choosing Sides

Chapter 5

* * *

As usual, Beckett is right. Castle holds his son in his arms, tears in his eyes at the overwhelming, powerful wave of love that flows over him.

"He's perfect," Castle whispers, laying the baby on Beckett's chest. They have a few minutes with him before he needs to get taken to the NICU.

"He's a good size and weight, but his lungs still need to develop," Josh explains. "And that this age, he's going to need a little extra help eating. But you're right, Castle. He is perfect. He looks just like Kate."

"Thank God for that," Castle says with a laugh.

"Hello, my beautiful boy," Beckett coos, ignoring Castle and Josh. "I love you so very much. You're my perfect, perfect angel."

"Time to get this angel to his incubator," Josh says quietly, not wanting to interrupt this bonding moment, but knowing that it's time.

"Castle, go with him," Beckett orders, reluctant to let her baby out her arms. "Make sure … just go with him, okay?"

"Of course," he says, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Good job, Honey. You were amazing."

Castle follows the nurse who takes the baby out the room.

"He's right," Josh agrees. "You did a great job. He's gorgeous."

"He wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," Beckett tells him. "That's twice you've saved him. So thanks."

"What are friends for?"

Josh smiles before leaving her with the nurses to help her get cleaned and settled in her room. It's been a long couple of days. But she has her freedom. She has her baby. She can't complain. She drifts off to sleep knowing it's the last sleep she's going to have for awhile now that she has a newborn. But she doesn't mind. The price is one she's more than willing to pay.

x.x.x.x.x

Alexis scans the bassinets through the NICU window, smiling when she gets to the one labeled '_Castle, Benjamin Alexander'_ that holds her baby brother. She's always wanted a baby brother and she can thank Kate Beckett she now has one. Six months ago, she didn't think she'd ever be thanking Kate for anything. She certainly never thought she'd love her. But she does, on both accounts.

"You were cuter."

Alexis spins around, anger shooting out of her eyes.

"What are you doing here, Mom?"

"Hello," Meredith says, pointing to the fading bruises around her neck. "I'm in the hospital because your father tried to kill me, remember?"

"No, I wouldn't remember. Because you had me kidnapped, _remember_?" Alexis spits back, anger and hate in her eyes.

Meredith steps back a bit. She's not used to seeing that look from her daughter.

"I didn't have you kidnapped. That was all a misunderstanding. I'm just as innocent as you are. I was a pawn, just like you. Nevertheless, you can relax. I'm under lock and key still," Meredith says, pointing to her guards behind her. "I convinced them to let me come see the baby before they cart me off to jail."

"More like you had them track me down so that you can try to convince me to keep you out of prison somehow."

"Well, Baby. Those cops are your friends. They'll listen to you. Please," Meredith begs. "I didn't do anything. I don't deserve to go to jail."

Alexis considers her mother for a long minute. She's amazed to realize that what she feels … is nothing. No sympathy. No sense of loyalty. All that ended when she finally understood that money would always mean more to Meredith than anything, even her own daughter.

"No," Alexis says. "I'm not going to lie for you. You have to pay the price for your actions. I'm not going to protect you or make excuses for you anymore. My little brother has been in this hospital for 3 days and will probably be here for the next couple of weeks instead of still growing in his mother's womb because of you. I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore."

"Come on, Alexis. You can hardly blame me for that."

"No. But I can."

Beckett walks up to the two of them. She was officially released yesterday, but has been staying at the hospital to spend as much time with the baby as possible.

"Alexis, can you go in and start feeding Ben? The nurse will have the bottle ready. He needs to stay on a schedule and I have a few things to say to Meredith."

"Sure," Alexis smiles, thrilled at any opportunity to touch the baby.

"You need to leave her alone, Meredith," Beckett says in a low, menacing voice. "You need to leave all of us alone, but especially my children."

"Yours? Alexis isn't yours. Alexis is and will always be mine. You may think you've won, sending me to jail on these bogus charges. But I'll be back. And you'll be sorry."

Beckett just shakes her head. She looks to the officers with Meredith and tells them to take her away.

Meredith most certainly won't be back. Not for a long time. Her lawyer might have gotten her a deal that prevented her from being charged with any crime she admitted to while giving the police information leading to the kidnappers. But Henri, when captured, was very talkative and very cooperative. And with the money trail leading right back to Meredith, she didn't have much of a defense. She's going to jail for a long, long time.

Beckett looks into the window at her kids. Both her children. She loves them with her whole heart. And though it took a lot of time and work, she knows Alexis loves her too. Nothing is going to ever take that away again. She won't let it.

"Look at our babies, Castle," she says, sensing him come up behind her.

He wraps his arms around her waist and rests his chin on her shoulder.

"Who would have known this is how we would end up?" she asks, in awe at the turn her life has taken.

"I knew," he claims. "From the moment I met you, I knew you were my forever. And that I'd love you always."

"Always," she smiles.

Her favorite word in the world. Because right now, she's looking at her always. It's a more beautiful sight than she ever dreamed.

x.x.x.x.x

"Look out the window, Ben," Alexis says softly. "That's our family. You see that man? That's our dad. And next to him is … our _mom_."

Alexis smiles at the word coming out of her mouth.

"She's the best. We're both very lucky."

With a smile, she realizes no truer words have ever been spoken.

"Welcome to the family, Little Brother."

The end.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's all, Folks! Now I can go and watch some season 3 eps so I can be back to hating Josh like any other self respecting Caskett fan. Thanks for taking this journey with me. I really appreciate all the views, follows, favorites, and comments.


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